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New Member
posted Jun 3, 2019 1:29:33 PM

Can I still claim my son as a dependent if he made 19,000$?

Hello, my son is 20 years old, a full time student, lives at my house, works part time but I still provide for more than half of his income. Can I claim him as a dependent and can he still do his own taxes?

Thank you I appreciate anyones time.

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24 Replies
Intuit Alumni
Jun 3, 2019 1:29:34 PM

Yes, you can claim your dependent child on your return if you answer all to the following: 

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? They must be under the age of 19 or, if a full time-student, under the age of 24. There is no age limit if your child is permanently and totally disabled. 

Do they live with you? They must live with you for more than 1/2 of the year. 

Do you financially support them? Your child may have a job and earn income, but that job cannot provide for more than 1/2 of their support. You need to be providing for more than 1/2 of their support even while they are working.  

Are you the only person claiming them? If you and your spouse are divorced, you need to be the one claiming them for tax purposes.  

Turbotax will guide you through a series of questions under the Personal Information Tab.

New Member
Jun 3, 2019 1:29:35 PM

Great!  According to the questions he qualifies and I will be claiming him. Just one more question can he do his own taxes as well? Thank you for your time! I greatly appreciate your help.

Intuit Alumni
Jun 3, 2019 1:29:36 PM

Yes he can file his own taxes, but he needs to mark that someone else can claim him as a dependent.

New Member
Jun 3, 2019 1:29:37 PM

Perfect thank you!

Intuit Alumni
Jun 3, 2019 1:29:39 PM

Welcome

New Member
Jan 25, 2020 2:50:38 PM

So, I am wondering I have a 17yr old step-daughter that has worked this whole last year, that we pay CS on and per the divorce decree claim her. Does it depend on how much she made this year as to whether or not we should claim her?

Level 15
Jan 25, 2020 3:02:10 PM

@Countrygirls - Her income is not relevant.

There are two types of dependents, "Qualifying Children"(QC) and standard ("Qualifying Relative" in IRS parlance even though they don't have to actually be related). There is no income limit for a QC but there is an age limit, a relationship test and residence test. Only a QC qualifies a taxpayer for the Earned Income Credit and the Child Tax Credit (if under 17).

You say you pay child support, which indicates she doesn't live with you. But, since the divorce decree allows you do claim her, you can still do so*. Her income does not change that.  But, this also assumes that she did not pay more than half her own support during the year. Money she puts into savings does not count as support.  Note that the requirement is not that you (and your spouse) provided more than half her support (as required for a standard dependent) but only that she did not provide her own support.

 

*The custodial parent has first priority on claiming the children on her taxes; regardless of the amount of support provided by the non-custodial parent. The IRS goes by physical custody, not legal custody. The non-custodial parent can only claim the child as a dependent if the custodial parent gives permission (on form 8332) or if it's spelled out in a pre 2009 divorce decree. (without conditions - usually the payment of child support). Even if a divorce decree, dated after 2008, gives the non-custodial parent the right to claim the child, he (they) must still get form 8332 from the custodial parent. A properly worded decree should require her to provide that form. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8332.pdf

Level 1
Jan 27, 2020 6:07:14 PM

The Turbo Tax app said my 19 year old was ineligible for me to claim since he made over $4400 in 2019. He still lives at home and I support him 100%. I don't understand why the app won't let me claim him.

Expert Alumni
Jan 27, 2020 6:15:43 PM

Is he a full-time student?

 

 You can claim him as your dependent as long as he meets the requirements below:

  1. He is under age 19, or under 24 if a full time student for at least 5 months of the year, or is totally & permanently disabled
  2. He did not provide more than 1/2 her own support,
  3. He lived with you for more than half the year (or was away at school).

If he was not a full-time student, he would not qualify as a dependent if he earned more than $4,200 in the tax year.

 

Level 1
Jan 27, 2020 6:24:09 PM

Nope, not a student. Just a kid still living at home only working part-time so he can't afford to live on his own. That's frustrating that he cannot be claimed as my dependent. 

New Member
Feb 6, 2020 1:23:25 PM

My son is 22, full time student, doesn't pay more than half his support , but made $17000 for 2019. My question is that he lives on campus, but his primary address is our home. Does this meet the requirement that he lives at home more than 1/2 the year.  

Expert Alumni
Feb 6, 2020 1:34:50 PM

Yes, if your son is away for school he is considered to have lived with you the whole year and he qualifies as a dependent if he meets the other requirements. 

 

Qualifying child requirements :

  • Relationship: Must be your child, adopted child, foster child, brother or sister, or a descendant of one of these (grand or nephew).
  • Residence: Must have the same residence for more than half the year.
  • Age: Must be under age 19 or under 24 and a full-time student for at least 5 months. They can be any age if they are totally and permanently disabled.
  • Support: Must not have provided more than half of their own support during the year.
  • Joint Support: The child cannot file a joint return for the year.

New Member
Feb 14, 2020 7:23:52 PM

My daughter make 13000 last year she is student but I only make 19000. She is still living with me. Can I claim her as a dependent?

Expert Alumni
Feb 14, 2020 7:35:06 PM

Yes, if she did not supply half her own support. 

 

RELATIONSHIP: A qualifying 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.

AGE: The child must be younger than you (or your spouse if filing jointly), AND at the end of the tax year, your child must have been under age 19 (or under 24 if a full-time student). There is no age limit if your child is permanently and totally disabled.

RESIDENCY: Your child must live with you for more than half the year. There are exceptions, such as being away at school, serving in the military, hospitalization and nursing home situations.

SUPPORT: Your child may not have provided more than half of their own support. Scholarships and grants are not considered as support provided by the student.

JOINT RETURN: Your child cannot file on a "Married Filing Jointly” return. (The exception is if they only file to claim a refund)

Level 15
Feb 14, 2020 7:56:06 PM

@Paola Briceno - Probably not, with those income figures. But it's possible. You have to do the support calculation. Here's a worksheet:

 https://apps.irs.gov/app/vita/content/globalmedia/teacher/worksheet_for_determining_support_4012.pdf

 

If your daughter is a full time student under 24, and lives at home the qualifying child (QC) support test is that she didn't provide more than half her own support. So any scholarships would be considered third party support and not support provided by her. If you own your home, the support value is the fair market rental value divided by the number of occupants.

 

 

New Member
Mar 7, 2020 6:56:32 AM

what do I do now?  My son already filed his taxes and DID NOT mark that someone can claim him as a dependent.  The IRS has rejected my e-file.

Level 15
Mar 7, 2020 7:04:30 AM


@tleo wrote:

what do I do now?  My son already filed his taxes and DID NOT mark that someone can claim him as a dependent.  The IRS has rejected my e-file.


Your son has to amend his tax return to change his dependency status.

An amended tax return, Form 1040X, can only be printed, signed, dated and mailed by you to the IRS, it cannot be e-filed. The IRS will take up to 4 months to process the amended tax return.

See this TurvrboTax support FAQ for amending a 2019 tax return - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-topics/help/how-do-i-amend-a-2019-return-in-turbotax/01/1238456#M4600

 

You will have to print and mail your tax return since a tax return with his name and SS number has already been received and accepted by the IRS.  You keep him as a dependent on your tax return.  If you are due a tax refund the IRS will pay the refund.

See this TurboTax support FAQ for printing a tax return for mailing - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/printing/help/how-do-i-print-and-mail-my-return-in-turbotax-online...

New Member
Mar 11, 2020 3:17:28 PM

My daughter is 24, made $30,000 and a full time grad student.  Can I claim her

Level 15
Mar 11, 2020 3:21:34 PM


@Michael20bradley13 wrote:

My daughter is 24, made $30,000 and a full time grad student.  Can I claim her


No you cannot claim her as your dependent.  Since she is 24 then she can no longer be claimed under the Qualifying Child rules where their income was not a factor.  She could only be claimed under the Qualifying Relative rules where if she has gross income of $4,200 or more then no one can claim her as a dependent.

 

To be a Qualifying Relative -

1. The person cannot be your qualifying child or the qualifying child of any other taxpayer. A child is not the qualifying child of any other taxpayer if the child's parent (or any other person for whom the child is defined as a qualifying child) is not required to file an income tax return or files an income tax return only to get a refund on income tax withheld.
2. The person either (a) must be related to you or (b) must live with you all year as a member of your household.
3. The person's gross income for the year must be less than $4,200 (social security does not count) in 2019
4. You must provide more than half of the person's total support for the year.
5. The person must be a U.S. citizen or a U.S., Canada, or Mexico resident for some part of the year.
6. The person must not file a joint return with their spouse.

Level 1
Jun 14, 2020 11:11:43 AM

My 22 son was full time student from Jan to June 2019 ( I provided for his support), then he took a 6 month internship (lived with me). Jan 2020,he went back to college to finish his undergraduate.  IS he considered full time student since he attended school for 5 months and worked for 6 months? If yes, then I can claim him as dependent. Please advise. Thank you. 

 

Level 15
Jun 14, 2020 11:55:21 AM


@Jesshere wrote:

My 22 son was full time student from Jan to June 2019 ( I provided for his support), then he took a 6 month internship (lived with me). Jan 2020,he went back to college to finish his undergraduate.  IS he considered full time student since he attended school for 5 months and worked for 6 months? If yes, then I can claim him as dependent. Please advise. Thank you. 

 


Since he is under the age of 24 and a full time student for at least 5 months during the year, you should be able to claim him as your dependent under the Qualifying Child rules if he meets all the requirements.

 

To be a Qualifying Child -

1. The child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a descendant of any of them.
2. The child must be (a) under age 19 at the end of the year, (b) under age 24 at the end of the year and a full-time student or (c) any age and permanently and totally disabled.
3. The child must have lived with you for more than half of the year. Temporary absences while away at college are considered living with you.
4. The child must not have provided more than half of his or her own support for the year.
5. If the child meets the rules to be a qualifying child of more than one person, you must be the person entitled to claim the child as a qualifying child.
6. The child must be a U.S. citizen or U.S., Canada or Mexico resident for some portion of the year.
7. The child must be younger than you unless disabled.

New Member
Jul 25, 2020 1:10:44 AM

Hi, can I be claimed as a dependent by a sibling I live with? I’m currently 23, I was a full time student last year for the majority of the year, and made 25K. 

Level 15
Jul 25, 2020 3:25:22 AM


@Zeeayy17 wrote:

Hi, can I be claimed as a dependent by a sibling I live with? I’m currently 23, I was a full time student last year for the majority of the year, and made 25K. 


If you provided over one-half of your own support then you cannot be claimed as a dependent.  Also, you must be younger than your sibling.

See this IRS website for determining support - https://apps.irs.gov/app/vita/content/globalmedia/teacher/worksheet_for_determining_support_4012.pdf

 

To be a Qualifying Child -

1. The child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a descendant of any of them.
2. The child must be (a) under age 19 at the end of the year, (b) under age 24 at the end of the year and a full-time student or (c) any age and permanently and totally disabled.
3. The child must have lived with you for more than half of the year. Temporary absences while away at college are considered living with you.
4. The child must not have provided more than half of his or her own support for the year.
5. If the child meets the rules to be a qualifying child of more than one person, you must be the person entitled to claim the child as a qualifying child.
6. The child must be a U.S. citizen or U.S., Canada or Mexico resident for some portion of the year.
7. The child must be younger than you unless disabled.

New Member
Dec 29, 2020 11:59:02 AM

Hi, I’m 24 now and a full time student. I don’t live at home anymore. And made more than 4,200 in 2020. Can I be claimed as a dependent?