Dependency Status

[Ksmay01]

Hello, 

I am filing independently this year for the first time. However, when I am e-filing, there is a question that asks if someone else can claim me as a dependent. 

While it is my understanding that I could be claimed by my parents because I am 19 and enrolled in college, however they are not going to claim me this year. The issue is that I am unsure if they could claim me as I am living separately from them and provide my own financial support. 

I am just a little confused as to whether or not I could still be claimed as a dependent, as this is also affecting my eligibility for the Recovery Rebate Credit.

[AlanT222 · Accepted solution]

If you are filing as independent, you would check the "no" box when it asks if someone else can claim you as a dependent.  

Generally, a person can claim a child as a dependent if all of the following are satisfied:

• 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.