I received a gift of $15,000, which is technically non taxable. Is it okay to report it as taxable income anyway?

[alison-l-wood-79]

My mother gives me money to live on so that I can homeschool my autistic son. The total for the year is $15,000, which is under the threshold which would make it taxable. Because my earned income for the year was very low, I would like to include the $15,000 as taxable income for purposes of proof of income for rental applications, loan applications, etc. Including it does not change the amount of my federal return.

[dmertz]

No, you are not permitted to report income that you did not receive.  Doing so would constitute fraud.  Gifts you receive are not income.

[JohnB5677]

I agree with @dmettz, you cannot use the gift as income.  However, I have found articles that may offer an alternative in the future.  There is an AARP article, 

Getting paid by a family member.  This is not a perfect fit, but it offers some alternatives.  Realize, one important point is to contact an attorney that has experience in your area.