I have a adult son who lives in a group home and receives monthly SSI payments. One of the questions in Turbo Tax is "Did anyone else help you provide support for more than half of support in 2020". Should I answer "Yes" since he receives SSI payments? If I answer "yes" the next question is "did you along provide more than 10% of support in 2020". I do through other items that we purchase for him/needs. The last question then is "does everyone that helped support in 2020 agree that you can claim him as a dependent on your return?" If I say yes he shows up as a dependent and I get a credit applied, If I say no then he is not listed as a dependent.
I don't know how to answer the question and need guidance.
No. The social security counts as his own support. The questions you are quoting refer to any other individual that contributes money to his support. For example, sometimes 2 or 3 grown children support a parent.
@kanpoke wrote:receives monthly SSI payments
You need to clarify what type of income he is getting. Does he receive Social Security Disability payments (he would receive a Form SSA-1099 in January that reports his annual income), or does he receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?
Supplemental Security Income is treated as paid by a third party (not paid by him or paid by you). It may not make a difference in your situation, but it does make a difference in some situations.
You should fill out a Support Worksheet to figure out his total cost of support (see link below). Then you would need to determine if you and other relatives paid for over 50% of his support or not.
If YOU did NOT pay for over 50% of his support BUT the combination of you and other relatives DID provide over 50% of his support, then you may be able to check that as 'yes'. But then you need to have another form signed by each relative that provided over 10% of his support, and they need to agree to let you claim him.
https://apps.irs.gov/app/vita/content/globalmedia/teacher/worksheet_for_determining_support_4012.pdf