Can you unclaim a child to let someone claim that child, after filing your taxes?

[Hal_Al]

Yes. You have to file an amended return, removing the dependent from your return. The other person does not need to wait for your amended return to be fully processed. But he will not be able to e-file. he will have to mail in a paper return.

You should not mail in an amended return until you have received your refund for the  first filing. This means you will have to pay the IRS when you file the amendment.

[Sheirman]

I was curious about this. My boy friend had filed a long time ago and never received his refund and meanwhile I didn’t know he tried to claim me. He’s working on unclaiming me because he didn’t know I worked last year. He never received a refund though it’s been almost two months. So he’s whistling his files. Does he mail in? Do I file? Please help I’m so lost. 

[BillM223]

To unclaim you, your boyfriend will have to "amend" his return removing you as a dependent.

You will not be able to e-file as a stand-alone person until his amended return is processed, which could be 12-16 weeks. However, you can still print and mail return, especially if he has already mailed his amended return.

You may or may not be required to file, but it is common to file even if you don't have to in order to reclaim the tax that was withheld from your paycheck.

Note that your boyfriend should check the status of his return, because it may have been rejected (this could explain the lack of refund). 

How to check e-file status - https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/3319882

To check the status of your federal tax refund, go to Where's My Refund? at IRS.gov.

[Krave0210]

My father to my kids and I filed our taxes separately because we are not married. But he wants to unclaim my son, so I can claim him on my tax. Will we be able to amend both our taxes when it’s time to amend?

[MayaD]

Yes, you will be able to amend your returns to make the changes. 

Sometimes a child meets the rules to be a qualifying child of more than one person.

If your child is also the qualifying child of another person, only one of you may claim the child for the EITC and related child tax benefits.

To amend your return:

1. In TurboTax, scroll down to Your tax returns & documents. Select Show and then select Amend (change) return, and then Amend using TurboTax Online. (If you don't see Your tax returns & documents, select Tax Home on the left.)
2. Select the reason you’re amending and follow the instructions.

[Krave0210]

Thank you for the information!

[MarilynG1]

If you have already filed your tax return, you can't remove a child that you claimed.

Wait until you receive your refund, then file an Amended Return.

If you have not yet filed your return, open TurboTax and make any changes to your dependents in the MY INFO section. 

Click this link for more info on Claiming a Dependent.

[Terrak0531]

I will owe money if I unclaimed a child so that her father owes less. I have already received my refund. What should I do?

[HopeS]

You will need to amend your 2022 Tax Return and remove the child so that the father can claim him or her. 

Typically the custodial parent claims the child. It might be easier to refund the father the amount that he should have received if he claimed the child than amend your return. You will need to pay the IRS the amount due by 4/18 if you amend your return and there is a payment due.

If you are amending see the steps below:

1. In TurboTax, scroll down to Your tax returns & documents. Select Show and then select Amend (change) return, and then Amend using TurboTax Online. ...
2. Select the reason you're amending and follow the instructions.

Also, see Form 8832

@Terrak0531