I'm on the dependent page, it asks if they lived there all year, I list no etc. the next question: did they pay for more than half living expenses. Is this while away?

[skinnynic]

Trying to answer properly if it means while at home they paid or while away did they pay...

[xmasbaby0]

You have not explained clearly why your dependent is away.   If your dependent is a student away at school, that is a "temporary absence" and you say they lived with you all year.   Or do you have some other situation?

[rjs]

The question about the dependent paying more than half of their own living expenses means their total living expenses for the entire year, regardless of where they were living. The question about living expenses is not related to the question about where they lived.

[Carl]

Additional information/clarification:

I am assuming the dependent is a student away at college who was under the age of 24 on Dec 31 of the tax year.

Time lived with you: THE WHOLE YEAR. (Time spent away from home for the primary purpose of attending school is considered as time having lived at home.)

Provided more than half of their own support?  NO.  Scholarships, grants, 529 distributions, gifts from Aunt Mary, money from parents *DO* *NOT* count for the student providing their own support. There are only two possible ways the student can have any chance of claiming they provide more than half of their own support.

1. The student has a W-2 job or is self-employed and earned enough money to justify a claim to providing more than half of their own support. Additionally, the money earned must be more than the total of all third party income received. (Scholarships, grants, 529 distributions, etc.)

2. The student is the *primary* borrower on a qualified student loan and sufficient funds were distributed to the student during the tax year to justify any claim to providing more than half of their own support. Additionally, the funds distributed have to be more than the total of all third party income received during the tax year.

Note that third party income such as scholarships, grants, 529 distributions, etc., do not count for the student providing any portion of their own support. That income is considered third party support.

Also note that there is absolutely no requirement for the parents to provide the student any support. Not one penny. The support requirement is on the student, and *only* the student.