My 4 children live with me, but receive child support from their dad and he claims all the kids for tax purposes. how do I manage this in turbo tax?

[macuser_22]

Child support does not go on a tax return.

You can claim the EIC and dependent care credit if you would qualify for those credits because both those credits require that the child physically live with you so he cannot claim those.

If you are the custodial parent where the child physically lived for more than half the year (183 nights) then:

When you enter the dependent, you say that he/she is "Your child" (not you and your spouse if remarried),

he/she lived with you the whole year,

“no” the child did not pay more than half of his/her own support,

"yes", you have a custody agreement,

and "yes", the other parent is claiming this year.  

That will give you the EIC, Child Care Credit and Head of Household filing status if you otherwise qualify.

The child would be listed as "non-dependent EIC & Dependent Care only".

The other (non-custodial) parent can claim the child’s exemption and child tax credit only and needs a signed 8332 form to do so.

[Bsch4477]

Since the children live with you if you want him to claim them you should give him a signed form 8332. Even though he claims them you should list them as non dependents on your return since you can get earned income credit and child care credit and file as Head of Household if otherwise qualified. You do not have to report child support payments.  As a side note, his providing child support doesn’t give him the right to claim the children.  He would claim them only because that is your agreement or you choose to let him.