topic Can both parent claim a child if the parents are not married but live together? in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Can both parent claim a child if the parents are not married but live together?

lmmayo — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 13:07:51 GMT

can both parent claim the child

Re: Can both parent claim a child if the parents are not married but live together?

DHturb60 — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 15:43:43 GMT

Only 1 parent can claim a child on their taxes regardless of their living arrangements.

Re: Can both parent claim a child if the parents are not married but live together?

CatinaT1 — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 16:00:21 GMT

No, only one person can claim a child for tax benefits.

These articles will give you more information.

Who Can I Claim as a Tax Dependent?

Rules for Claiming a Dependent on Your Tax Return

Divorced and Separated Parents

Re: Can both parent claim a child if the parents are not married but live together?

Opus 17 — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 16:06:53 GMT

It is very important that, when both parents live together unmarried, one parent claim the child as a dependent and answer "no" to the question, "do you have a custody agreement with the other parent?" This question only applies to parents who live apart and share custody. The parent who will not claim the child as a dependent should not even list the child on their return at all.

Doing something different can sometimes cause problems because of how turbotax asks certain questions to determine dependent type, and how sometimes parents misinterpret the questions.