2 of my dependents from last year have status changes. My father-in-law passed away at the end of February. We were his provider so he was a dependent. How do I handle this change since he passed away at the end of February? Also, my son graduated from college, now what? He still lives with me and is on my health insurance. Although, he has a full time job. Not sure if I can claim either one of them next year.
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My thoughts are with you and your family on your father-in-laws passing. There are special rules for birth and death of a dependent. You can claim a dependent who died during the year if you would have been entitled to claim their exemption if they would have survived through the end of the year.
See this explanation from IRS Publication 501. So for 2021, your father-in-law will still be considered a dependent.
On a much happier note, congrats to your son for graduating. This question would depend on his age and how much he is making at his current employer. Your son has now reached status basically as an "other dependent". which his status would be based on the following:
Therefore, if he does not fall into each of the bullet points above, then he would file his own taxes and you would not be able to claim him as a dependent.
Hi, Gkzes2!
First, please accept my condolences for the passing of your father-in-law. Losing someone is hard!
According to IRS Publication 501: Dependents, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information if someone who would otherwise be eligible as your dependent dies during the year, you many still claim them. (See page 18 of the linked publication.)
Your son may also qualify as your dependent but not as a qualifying child because he does not meet the age test. Depending on his income, he may qualify as a qualifying relative. See page 17 of the above publication for more information.
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