return question

[bobbyfitz27]

Hello,

I have a question regarding my amended 2022 tax return. I filed my original 2022 taxes right before the deadline. After filing, my two stepdaughters received their green cards and Social Security numbers.

I submitted an amended return on May 8, 2023, claiming them as dependents since they had lived with me for almost two years by then. However, I have not received any information about the status of this amended return.

I have been calling and speaking with representatives almost monthly since six months after filing. They consistently tell me that I need to wait. Finally, in June 2024, a representative informed me that my stepdaughters were not eligible to be claimed as dependents because they received their Social Security numbers after the 2022 deadline of April 18, 2023. My stepdaughters received their Social Security numbers on April 21, 2023.

The representative also mentioned that he couldn’t process my amended return as it was assigned to another agent.

Is it true that my stepdaughters are not eligible to be claimed as dependents? Please advise.

Thank you, Robert

[DoninGA]

Is it true that my stepdaughters are not eligible to be claimed as dependents?

Yes, that is true.  The Social Security numbers for the stepdaughters Must have been issued on or before April 18, 2023 for inclusion on the 2022 tax return.

[Gabriella_EA]

Yes, it is true that an individual must have a SSN before the due date of the return in order to be claimed as a dependent for certain credits. The only way around this rule is if you'd filed an extension on your 2022 return, which it does not sound like you did, since you had filed a return before the deadline. The Credit for Other Dependents is available for a dependent who has an ITIN and meets other requirements.

[Opus 17]

Is it true that my stepdaughters are not eligible to be claimed as dependents?

Not exactly.  If they did not have their SSNs by the due date of your tax return, you can claim them as "other dependents" for a $500 credit, but you can't get the $2000 child tax credit or earned income credit, even if you file an amended return after the SSN is awarded.

Unfortunately, if you had requested an extension, your due date would have been October 15, 2023, and your return would have been "on time" if you waited until the SSNs were issued in May.  It's too late for you, sorry to say, but this information may help someone else in the future.