Can I claim an 18yr. old on my taxes as an dependent as long as we have provided for her and she is still in high school?

[psdubois]

she is not related to either of us

[BobinCT · Accepted solution]

If she lived with you all twelve months of the year, you provided over half her support, and she had under $4050 of income then you can claim her.

[erik-kingston]

as long as no one else will claim them and you have been taking care or providing most of the support for more than 6 months i.e. Bills Food Shelter, then yes

[KiaraE]

In order to claim a qualifying child, you must be able to answer "yes" to all of the following questions.

• Are they related to you? The child can be your son, daughter, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, stepsister, adopted child or an offspring of any of them.
• Do they meet the age requirement? Your child must be under age 19 or, if a full-time student, under age 24. There is no age limit if your child is permanently and totally disabled.
• Do they live with you? Your child must live with you for more than half the year, but several exceptions apply.
• Do you financially support them? Your child may have a job, but that job cannot provide more than half of her support.
• Are you the only person claiming them? This requirement commonly applies to children of divorced parents. Here you must use the “tie breaker rules,” which are found in IRS Publication 501. These rules establish income, parentage and residency requirements for claiming a child.

From: https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/family/rules-for-claiming-a-dependent-on-your-tax-return/L8LODb...

[BobinCT]

If she lived with you all twelve months of the year, you provided over half her support, and she had under $4050 of income then you can claim her.