How much to pay in; dependents

Are all of your questions about tax year 2022?

1.   What will your filing status be for 2022?   Single or head of household?   You say you will make about $18K

2022 STANDARD DEDUCTION AMOUNTS

SINGLE $12,950  (65 or older + $1750)

MARRIED FILING SEPARATELY $12,950  (65 or older + $1750)

MARRIED FILING JOINTLY $25,900  (65 or older + $1400 per spouse)

HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD  $19,400  (65 or older +$1750)

Legally Blind + $1750

2.  If you support a dependent of course you can claim the dependent, whether your income is reported on a W-2 or a 1099 of some sort.   And....there are over a dozen kinds of 1099's---what kind are you asking about?   Do you mean you will get  a 1099NEC for self-employment---or something else?

3.  I did not work this year.....If you did not work in 2022 then claiming a dependent does no good for you.   There is no 2022 stimulus money nor is there  child tax credit available for claiming a dependent if you did not work in 2022.

If your BF is the child's bio-father he can claim the child to get child-related credits.   If he is not the child's bio-father then he can claim the child as a qualified relative dependent  if he supported the child and the child lived with him the whole year ---- but he can only get the $500 credit for other dependents---no other child - related credits are available to him if the child is not related to him. 

  If you have less than $4350 for your 2022 income and lived with BF the WHOLE year, he can also claim you and get the $500 credit for other dependents.

IRS interview to help determine who can be claimed:

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/who-can-i-claim-as-a-dependent

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3113432-who-can-i-claim-as-my-dependent 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4499708-what-is-the-500-credit-for-other-dependents-family-tax-credit

WHO CAN I CLAIM AS A DEPENDENT?

You can claim a child, relative, friend, or fiancé (etc.) as a dependent on your 2021 taxes as long as they meet the following requirements:

Qualifying child

• They're related to you.
• They aren't claimed as a dependent by someone else.
• They're a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
• They aren’t filing a joint return with their spouse.
• They're under the age of 19 (or 24 for full-time students).
• No age limit for permanently and totally disabled children.
• They lived with you for more than half the year (exceptions apply).
• They didn't provide more than half of their own support for the year.

Qualifying relative

• They don't have to be related to you (despite the name).
• They aren't claimed as a dependent by someone else.
• They're a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
• They aren’t filing a joint return with their spouse.
• They lived with you the entire year (exceptions apply).
• They made less than $4,300 in 2021.
• You provided more than half of their financial support.