Wondering about my return

[Moots07]

My ex got custody of our daughter July 23, 2025. Due to the circumstances around that, we have not spoken since. She was with my husband and I for more than half the year, so I did claim her on our taxes. Would they have been rejected immediately instead of being accepted if he had already claimed her?

[Opus 17]

Generally, yes.  If someone e-files a tax return listing a dependent (whether a custody issue or just plain identity theft) any later attempts to e-file with the same SSN should result in a rejection.  If that happens, and you believe you are correct to claim the dependent, you would print your return, sign it and mail it in, and the IRS will investigate. 

[Moots07]

My return was accepted and is being processed. That means she was not claimed yet, correct?

[Opus 17]

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@Moots07 wrote:

My return was accepted and is being processed. That means she was not claimed yet, correct?

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Assuming the IRS hasn't messed up, your return would not have been accepted if your child had already be claimed by someone else.