Dependent Error on federal return

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
February 9, 2024
1 reply
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I am getting an error in my federal return. In the Personal Worksheet, Part II, if I leave the box blank that I am not anyone's dependent, I get the error. I am single, 33 years of age and I am not a dependent of anyone else, nor do I qualify to be a dependent of anyone. Turbo Tax will not allow me to leave the box empty. The amount I get back from federal increases if I leave this box blank, but decreases if I don't. I want to leave it blank.

xmasbaby0

Level 15

Sorry---you have to pick "yes" or "no" to the question. There is a box on your Form 1040 that must be checked as to whether you can be claimed as someone else's dependent or not. If no one else can claim you as a dependent, you click NO.

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

PipiRAuthor

Level 5

Yes. I understand that, however, when I pick NO, MY Federal tax liability increases by $1,500

Is there a way to avoid that? Why should my tax liability increase merely because I am not anyone's dependent?

PipiRAuthor

Level 5

If the OP had filled in the education credit section before going back to the MY INFO tab to indicate they were a dependent then that could explain the change in the bottom line. They may need to review the education credit section again since they were over the age of 24.

FYI ... the program works best when you follow the interview from start to finish in the order presented. Going back and making changes in the beginning can require a review of the rest of the interview especially the state tab if you make changed in the federal section.

I made two test samples of federal returns. Both identical, that of a single tax filer, with the same information in both returns, except as follows:

In sample A, where it asks in the personal worksheet: Can another tax payer claim you as a dependent? In the my case, the answer is No. However, if I mark No, the amount I get back from my federal return is $13.00

In sample B, if I leave the yes or no boxes empty as to dependency, it creates an error in my federal return, but the amount I get back from federal changes from $13.00 to $1513. I followed the path of the increase of $1,500 and it leads to Schedule 2 (Additional taxes), which is then linked to form 8962 (Premium Tax Credit) and is the amount I owed for the health plan by Covered California's advanced premiums payments.

For unknown reasons, Turbo Tax is linking the yes or no answer on dependency to the Covered California premium advances paid to me. That now seems to be the issue.

I have reviewed all personal questions asked of me numerous times, from beginning to end, and in all cases, I answered that I was not, nor could I be a dependent of anyone else (I am 30 years of age and single). So that is not an issue.

This seems to me to be a problem with Turbo Tax. The bottom line is that the amount I get back from federal should not depend or whether I am a dependent or not. Would I be able to electronically file my return with an error on the personal worksheet; I would rather get back $1513 than $13. Thanks.