I'm a minor who works and in high school. My dad is disabled and get disability benefits for me and himself. Can I claim him as a dependent on my taxes?

[SweetieJean]

What type of disability benefits does he receive?

[76evilways]

SSDI

[Hal_Al · Accepted solution]

You actually have a more important question. Can you even claim yourself (claim your own exemption) on your own tax return.  There is a rule that says IF somebody else CAN claim you as a dependent, you are not allowed to claim your own exemption. If you have sufficient income (usually more than $6350), you can & should still file taxes; you just doesn’t get your own $4050 exemption (deduction). In TurboTax, you indicate that somebody else can claim you as a dependent, at the personal information section.  

Even if you had less, you are allowed to file if you need to get back income tax withholding. You cannot get back social security or Medicare tax withholding.

 A child of a taxpayer can still be a “Qualifying Child” (QC) dependent, regardless of his/her income, if:

1. He is under age 19, or under 24 if a full time student for at least 5 months of the year, or is totally & permanently disabled

2. He did not provide more than 1/2 his own support. The SS disability benefits that are paid on your behalf are considered support provided by you

3. He lived with the parent (including temporary absences such as away at school) for more than half the year

So, it doesn't matter how much you earned. What matters is how much he spent on support. Money you put into savings does not count as support spent on yourself.

The support value of the home provided by the parent is the fair market rental value of the home plus utilities & other expenses divided by the number of occupants.

The IRS has a worksheet that can be used to help with the support calculation. See: http://apps.irs.gov/app/vita/content/globalmedia/teacher/worksheet_for_determining_support_4012.pdf

[Critter]

Doubt it ... since your dad does have income he would not pass the income or support tests ....

Who can I claim as my dependent?

You can claim a child, relative, friend, fiancé (etc.) as a dependent on your 2017 taxes as long as they meet the following requirements:

Qualifying relative

·         They don't have to be related to you (despite the name).

·         They aren't claimed as a dependent by someone else.

·         They are a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.

·         They aren’t filing a joint return with their spouse.

·         They lived with you the entire year.

·         They made less than $4,050 in 2017(not including SS benefits).

·         You provided more than half of their financial support. More info

When you add someone as a dependent, we'll ask a series of questions to make sure you can claim them.