Can my daughter be claimed as a dependent for 2017 taxes if she is going to school fulltime but the 5 month program started in Oct and ends in March?

[Rachel_W · Accepted solution]

To be considered a "full-time student", your Daughter would have to have been enrolled full-time in school during any part of at least five calendar months during 2017.  So unless she was a High School student for at least two months of the year in addition to the program she started in October, then she would not qualify as a "full-time student".

Even though your Daughter may not meet the definition of "full-time student", you may still be eligible to claim her as a Dependent on your Tax Return.  Please review the qualifications for claiming someone as a Dependent in the TurboTax FAQ below:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/5187060

[Edited 02.03.18|7:40PM]

[macuser_22]

Probably not, if over age 18, since the IRS goes by tax calendar years, not academic semesters.

Per the IRS:

Student defined.

To qualify as a student, your child must be, during some part of each of any 5 calendar months during the calendar year:

1. A full-time student at a school that has a regular teaching staff, course of study, and regular student body at the school; or
2. A student taking a full-time, on-farm training course given by a school described in (1), or a state, county, or local government.

The 5 calendar months need not be consecutive.

A full-time student is a student who is enrolled for the number of hours or courses the school considers to be full-time attendance.

School defined.

A school can be an elementary school, junior or senior high school, college, university, or technical, trade, or mechanical school. However, on-the-job training courses, correspondence schools, and schools offering courses only through the Internet don't count as schools for the EIC.

https://www.irs.gov/publications/p17#en_US_2017_publink1000170877