if i get respite pay to care for a child in the home can i claim the child on my taxes?

[pam_davis]

i get respite pay to care for a child i live in the home with, can i claim the child on my taxes at the end of the year

[Hal_Al]

Q. If I get respite pay to care for a child in the home can i claim the child on my taxes?

A. Simple answer: No.  Receiving respite pay is not one of the dependent rules.  

Living with the child is one of the rules, but there is more. Primarily, how are you related to the child and what other relatives live with the child. 

See full rules at: https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Family/Rules-for-Claiming-a-Dependent-on-Your-Tax-Ret...

[Opus 17]

The fact that the child qualifies you for a state or county benefit does not necessarily mean the child will also qualify as a tax dependent.  

The IRS has a web site where you can determine if the child qualifies as a tax dependent.

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/whom-may-i-claim-as-a-dependent

Generally speaking, there are two sets of dependent rules.

For a "qualifying child" dependent, the child must be your biological, adopted, step- or foster child (placed by a qualified placement agency under state law), and must live in your home more than half the year, and must not earn their own support.  For the "qualifying relative" dependent, the child does not have to be related to you, but must live as a member of your household for the entire year.  All dependents must be US citizens or residents and must have social security numbers.