Child deductions

olsengk · ‎May 31, 2019

My girlfriend and I both take care of our child but I'm letting her claim it as dependent but it said we can only have it's ss# on one of our tax returns but I still need it for head of household hi what does this work

PatriciaR · ‎May 31, 2019

To prevent fraudulent returns, the IRS will only accept each dependent's SSN once in their e-file system. Since your girlfriend claimed your child as a dependent and e-filed, no further e-files using that SSN will be accepted. However, you can print, sign, and mail in your tax return using the child's SSN. Your tax return will be accepted if you paper-file.

NOTE: If you both live with the child, you can agree who claims the child and all the benefits. The child can only be on one return and not on the other at all. The benefits cannot be split. When *both* parents live with the child, no such custody agreement can exist since both parents have equal custody and there is no non-custodial parent. The dependent and all the benefits can only be claimed by one parent.

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PatriciaR · ‎May 31, 2019

To prevent fraudulent returns, the IRS will only accept each dependent's SSN once in their e-file system. Since your girlfriend claimed your child as a dependent and e-filed, no further e-files using that SSN will be accepted. However, you can print, sign, and mail in your tax return using the child's SSN. Your tax return will be accepted if you paper-file.

NOTE: If you both live with the child, you can agree who claims the child and all the benefits. The child can only be on one return and not on the other at all. The benefits cannot be split. When *both* parents live with the child, no such custody agreement can exist since both parents have equal custody and there is no non-custodial parent. The dependent and all the benefits can only be claimed by one parent.