How can I file my taxes independently at 19 years old?

[nnaeel02]

I would like to know the steps I need to take in order to file my taxes independently. I am currently 19 years old, a full-time college student and living with my parents. I would like to marry my s/o for undisclosed reasons. However, the only thing that is stopping me is from my parents finding out. 

Each tax season my parents claim me as a dependent. I utilize my own income without their help, and I will be moving out of the house soon. I am an adult and I can make my own decision, but I would like to avoid unnecessary confrontation from them. 

Thank you for your help. 

[DoninGA]

Whether or not you can file as not a dependent of your parents would depend on if you provided over one-half of your own support for the entire year.

See this IRS website for a support worksheet - https://apps.irs.gov/app/vita/content/globalmedia/teacher/worksheet_for_determining_support_4012.pdf

Since you are a full time student under the age of 24, you may be claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return if you meet all the requirements under the Qualifying Child rules.

To be a Qualifying Child -

1. The child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, 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 unless disabled.

[xmasbaby0]

When you are legally married, your tax filing choices are to file as married filing separately or married filing jointly. You cannot file as “Single.”  So if you get married before 2019 ends, keep that in mind. 

If you file a joint return for 2019 with your new spouse, no one else can claim you as a dependent. 

If you file separate returns you can be claimed as a dependent. But your own return must use your MFS filing status. 

Whatever family consequences you have if you secretly get married are yours to deal with. But please avoid putting unsuspecting parents in the position of commiting possible tax fraud. 

[Hal_Al]

"O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!" When it comes to taxes, the web just gets more tangle.

The simple answer to your question is, if your parents are going to continue to claim you as a dependent: you file in a way that will not conflict with their filed tax return.

If you are married, this means that both you and your spouse must file as Married filing separately (MFS).  If you are unmarried, you file as Single and  check the box that says  someone can claim you as a dependent.  The good news is that under the new tax law, a Single person with earned income (wages) pays the same tax (or gets the same refund) whether he/she is a dependent or not. But, a dependent is not allowed to claim a tuition credit

That answer ignores the question of whether your parents are even allowed to claim you.  If you lived with them less than half the year, they probably are not allowed to claim you. But that rule, alone, is not always the determining factor.  See the other replies for details.