Can I claim my step brother/step sisters as dependents? They came back from Mexico last year and lived in my home.

[celisanchezz]

I brought my step brother and step sisters back from Mexico last year. They lived with me and I took care of them. Can I claim them as my dependents? Their mom didn't work and my dad is in Mexico. 

[SweetieJean]

Do they have SSN's or ITIN's?

[celisanchezz]

yes, they were born in the US.

[JulieH1 · Accepted solution]

Here are the rules that determine whether you can claim a relative:

Under the qualifying relative rules:

• Not qualify as somebody else’s qualifying child or qualifying relative
• Live with you the entire year (365 days) or be one of these:
• Your child, stepchild, foster child, or a descendant of any of them
• Your brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, or stepsister or a descendant of any of them
• Your father, mother, grandparent, or stepparent, but not a foster parent
• Your son-in-law, daughter-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law
• Your uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece
• Earn less than $4,050
• Receive more than half of his or her support for the year from you

To claim a dependent, these must also be true:

• He or she can only have filed jointly with his or her spouse to claim a refund of the taxes withheld. Also, if he or she were to have filed separately from his or her spouse, neither would have owed taxes.
• The dependent is one of these:
• U.S. citizen
• U.S. resident alien
• U.S. national
• Resident of Canada or Mexico

You can’t qualify as a dependent on someone else’s return. This is true even if the other person doesn’t claim you on his or her return.