topic Child tax credits claiming child on taxes in Deductions & credits

Child tax credits claiming child on taxes

MsPettyCat — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 01:04:50 GMT

I am a stay at home mom to disabled son and have 2 additional children. I don’t make enough income to claim my children or even file my taxes. But everytime their dad tried (even before the new laws) he got audited. So we haven’t been able to claim our children for 8+ years. I’ve been doing research about the form 8332 - since he doesn’t reside with us - but still is often here to spend time with our kids and takes care of their needs. He even has all his mail mailed to our address bc he bounces from place to place & often those places don’t worry about him receiving his mail. So his mailing address is my/our kids but he doesn’t live in same household. Just get mail here for his safety bc he knows it will get to his hands not lost. We don’t have child support nor any court order visitations in place as that’s not needed - he gets them whenever they want or need. So how, if any way, can my kids dad claim our children. No one else can claim them (including me). So if he works and supports them OUTSIDE my household - why can’t he claim them? Or why has he been audited for claiming them before ? We even had to provide birth certificates for our sons to prove he was their biological father. - our daughter is 3. So she’s never been claimed before. He’s always scared to be audited bc everytime he’s claimed them that’s what happens. Even before the child must live w you for 6+m out of the year law. Please walk me step by step thru to allowing my kids father to claim his own children?

Re: Child tax credits claiming child on taxes

MsPettyCat — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 01:05:49 GMT

Thanks in advance

Re: Child tax credits claiming child on taxes

RobertB4444 — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:13:56 GMT

You should file form 8332 for each of your children. You need to print the forms out and sign each one individually. Enter the years that you are going to allow your children's father to claim the kids in part 2 (part one is just for this year) and then make certain that you sign and date each form.

Then have your kids dad file the return for this year by mailing in his taxes with those forms included. If you have given permission to him to claim the kids in future years in part 2 then he can file electronically in future years. If you are going to fill out a form every year for him then he will always need to mail in the return with forms included.

That doesn't guarantee he won't be audited but it would certainly lower his risk.

Re: Child tax credits claiming child on taxes

MsPettyCat — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 20:04:02 GMT

Okay thank you so much. I was worried the 8339 form wouldn’t apply to him since our children aren’t in court system, nor does dad pay child support. I don’t understand why it’s so hard for him to claim them. My friend switches years w her kids father every year and said they never had to issue he has had.