How can I stop someone from claiming my dependent on their tax return? They use this site as well.

[Mydoggy303]

do you have the insurance phone number 

[Jay1580]

I think someone claim my child as independent I didn’t get rich child tax credit and I should have I got it last year 

[KathrynG3]

While someone else cannot be stopped from claiming your child as a dependent, if you qualify, then file your 2020 tax return by mailing it in. It cannot be e-filed since the social security number of the child has already been submitted.

To claim a dependent, the child must meet the same rules as for the Child Tax Credit in place for 2020.

A qualifying child must meet the 2020 Child Tax Credit rules and have a valid social security number.

From the IRS, 2020 Publication 972 (2020) Child Tax Credit and Credit for Other Dependents

Qualifying Child for the CTC

A child qualifies you for the CTC if the child meets all of the following conditions.

1. The child is your son, daughter, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, or a descendant of any of them (for example, your grandchild, niece, or nephew).
2. The child was under age 17 at the end of 2020.
3. The child did not provide over half of his or her own support for 2020.
4. The child lived with you for more than half of 2020 (see Exceptions to time lived with you , later).
5. The child is claimed as a dependent on your return. See Pub. 501 for more information about claiming someone as a dependent.
6. The child does not file a joint return for the year (or files it only to claim a refund of withheld income tax or estimated tax paid).
7. The child was a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or U.S. resident alien. For more information, see Pub. 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens. If the child was adopted, see Adopted child , later.

......In addition to being a qualifying child for the CTC (defined earlier), your child must have the required SSN. 

The IRS will sort it out as @Hal_Al stated.

When the 2020 tax return is filed, complete the Recovery Rebate Credit section.

To do this in TurboTax, follow these steps:

1. Go to the search box and enter stimulus. Click the Jump to link.
2. Answer Yes.
3. At the next screen, Let's double-check the amount you received, answer No to edit the first-round and second-round amounts.
4. If no stimulus amount was received, enter 0. An amount must be entered in each box. When finished, click Continue.

For the most recent IRS updates, see:

Coronavirus Tax Relief and Economic Impact Payments

Recovery Rebate Credit Frequently Asked Questions | Internal Revenue Service

@Mydoggy303

@Jay1580

[MaryM428]

Apply to the IRS for an identity protection pin (IP PIN) for each of your dependents.  

The IRS will mail a new number each year and their social security number cannot be claimed by someone who does not have the pin.   If your dependent received an IP PIN, you must include his or her IP PIN on your federal tax return as well as Form 2441, Child and Dependent Care Expenses PDF, and Schedule EIC, Earned Income Credit PDF.

 In the past, you only were issued an IP Pin if you were a victim of identify theft.  Starting in 2021 you can voluntarily apply to be part of the program.  

To apply for the IP Pin, go to the IRS Identify Protection website. 

[ERC1960]

My son has lived with Mother , custodial parent since 2014. The father has been claiming my son as Head of Household and received EIC as non custodial parent without my knowledge nor did he ever recieve anything in writing or the form 83332... Just found this out this March of 2021.. I filled out form 14039... How will I be informed the IRS will refuse non custodial can not claim our child for the last seven years without my knowledge nor anything in writing as well. ???

[ReneeM7122]

If you were eligible to claim your child as a dependent in the past seven years, and you didn't use Form 8332 then it is conceivable that your ex wife's current partner may have been eligible to claim your son as Head of Household.  It is common to alternate from year to year between parents when both are eligible.   Here is a TurboTax article that explains the rules for claiming a dependent.  

The IRS won't tell you if someone else claimed your child, unless your tax return is rejected for that reason.  

Form 14039 would serve to say that your identity (social security number) has been stolen.  If your SSN was used by someone else to claim the child, then this would be appropriate.  

@ERC1960

[Will2255]

Need to remove a my son as dependent as my ex-wife claimed him and I cannot complete my taxes until social security is removed

[Hal_Al]

@Will2255 

Go back to the my info section and click delete next to the dependent's name.  This assumes you are the non-custodial parent based on physical custody.

There is a way to split the tax benefits. For future negotiations with the other parent (and maybe even for this year) the following info may be of use:

 There is a special rule in the case of divorced & separated (including never married) parents. When the non-custodial parent is claiming the child as a dependent/exemption/child tax credit; the custodial parent is still allowed to claim the same child for Earned Income Credit, Head of Household filing status, and day care credit. This "splitting of the child" is not available to parents who lived together at any time during the last 6 months of the year; then only one of you can claim the child for any tax reasons. The tax benefits may not be split in any other manner.

Note in particular that the non-custodial parent can never claim the Earned Income Credit, Head of Household filing status or the day care credit, based on that child, even when the custodial parent has released the dependency to him.

 So, it's good idea to let the other parent know that you will be claiming those items, as many first time divorced parents are not aware of this rule and may try to claim those items, which will cause the IRS to send out letters.

Ref: https://www.irs.gov/publications/p17#en_US_2017_publink1000170897

Scroll down to "Children of divorced or separated parents (or parents who live apart)"

You can if you are the custodial parent.  The custodial  parent is the parent the child lived with for more than 183 nights in 2020 (more than 182 nights  in 2019).

[myra080482]

What if i do not have to file? What do i do to get there advance child credit every month

[Hal_Al]

If you don’t need to file a tax return, but qualify for this expanded credit, you can use the IRS’s Non-Filer tool to provide them with the information they need to deliver your payments.

Reference: https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/family-tax-credits-and-deductions/help/what-are-the-new-child-tax-...

[Judy pulido]

I need y'all's help to stop someone from claiming my child when I have my child I'm trying to get the child tax credit

[DoninGA]

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@Judy pulido wrote:

I need y'all's help to stop someone from claiming my child when I have my child I'm trying to get the child tax credit

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No one can stop someone from claiming a dependent on a tax return.  If they file a tax return before you then you have to print and mail your tax return claiming the dependents.  If you are due a refund the IRS will pay the refund.  Within a year the IRS will investigate the issue of two returns with the same dependents.  The loser of the investigation has to repay any refund along with penalties and interest.

[Hal_Al]

If this is about the advance (monthly) child tax credit payments, the answer is the same: you cannot stop somebody else from claiming your child, to get it.  You can use the IRS tools to make  a competing claim.  Ideally, the other other party uses the toll to stop the payments from coming to them.   If you are unable get the monthly payments, then you'll have to wait to get all the child tax credit (CTC), when you file your tax return 2021 tax return, in early 2022.  The other party will have to pay it back, if you are the one entitled to the CTC. 

See previous answers about  competing tax returns. 

[Critter-3]

https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin

[VansulaCollins]

How can I stop someone from claiming my child for child credit when I do not receive any money