topic How do i know If I’m independent or dependent? in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

How do i know If I’m independent or dependent?

ztax12345 — Sat, 11 Apr 2020 17:08:24 GMT

Re: How do i know If I’m independent or dependent?

xmasbaby0 — Sat, 11 Apr 2020 17:19:48 GMT

You mean you do not know if someone can claim you as a dependent? Do you fit into any these requirements as a qualifying child or qualifying relative for someone?

WHO CAN I CLAIM AS A DEPENDENT?

You can claim a child, relative, friend, fiance (etc.) as a dependent on your 2019 taxes as long as they meet the following requirements:

Qualifying child

• They are related to you.

• They cannot be claimed as a dependent by someone else.

• They are a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.

• They are not filing a joint return with their spouse.

• They are under the age of 19 (or 24 for full-time students).

No age limit for permanently and totally disabled children

• They live with you for more than half the year (exceptions apply).

Qualifying relative

• They don't have to be related to you (despite the name).

• They cannot be claimed as a dependent by someone else.

• They are a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.

• They are not filing a joint return with their spouse.

• They lived with you the entire year.

• They made less than $4200 (not counting Social Security)

• You provided more than half of their financial support. More info

When you add someone as a dependent, we'll ask a series of questions to make sure you can claim them.

Related Information:

• Does a dependent have to live with me?

• What does "financially support another person" mean?

• Can I claim a newborn baby?

Re: How do i know If I’m independent or dependent?

Texas Roger — Sat, 11 Apr 2020 17:25:27 GMT

If you filed a tax return and checked the box that you can be claimed as a dependent by someone else, then you are a dependent. If you did not check that box, then you are independent. There is no way to know whether someone else claimed you as a dependent or not unless you efile your tax return without checking the box and it is rejected because someone else claimed you.

There are two types of dependents--qualifying child and qualifying relative. If you are asking whether or not you meet the requirements to be claimed as either of these dependents, her are the rules from the perspective of someone who could claim you:

Qualifying Child Dependent

1. The child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, foster chld, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a descendant of any of them.
2. The child must be (a) under age 19 at the end of the year, (b) under age 24 at the end of the year and a full-time student, or (c) any age and permanently and totally disabled.
3. The child must have lived with you for more than half of the year. Temporary absences while away at college are considered living with you.
4. The child must not have provided more than half of his or her own support for the year.
5. If the child meets the rules to be a qualifying child of more than one person, you must be the person entitled to claim the child as a qualifying child.
6. The child must be a U.S. citizen or U.S., Canada or Mexico resident for some portion of the year.
7. The child must be younger than you (or your spouse, if filing jointly) unless disabled.

Qualifying Relative Dependent

1. The person cannot be your qualifying child or the qualifying child of any other taxpayer. A child is not the qualifying child of any other taxpayer if the child's parent (or any other person for whom the child is defined as a qualifying child) is not required to file an income tax return or files an income tax return only to get a refund on income tax withheld.
2. The person either (a) must be related to you or (b) must live with you all year as a member of your household.
3. The person's gross taxable income for the year must be less than $4,200 in 2019.
4. You must provide more than half of the person's total support for the year.
5. The person must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. resident alien, U.S. national, or a resident of Canada or Mexico.