Can we claim our 18 year old child that is still in high school?

[Hal_Al]

This is not live chat; sometimes you have to wait for an answer. When claiming a dependent, you submit no proof with your filing. The proof comes later, if audited,  and can take various forms. Here's some references
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.thebalance.com/claiming-same-dependent-audit-risk-3193030">https://www.thebalance.com/cl...>
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://taxes.about.com/od/dependents/qt/Dependents-Audits.htm">http://taxes.about.com/od/dependents/...>
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.eitc.irs.gov/EITCCentral/f886-h-dep.pdf">www.eitc.irs.gov/EITCCentral/f886-h-dep.pdf</a>

[Hal_Al · Accepted solution]

Yes. A child is still a "Qualifying Child" dependent if under 19 (not 18) or under 24 if a full time student. High school counts as being a student.

There are two types of dependents, Qualifying Children 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. Only a QC qualifies you for the Earned Income Credit and the Child Tax. 

 A child of a taxpayer can still be a Qualifying Child (QC) dependent, regardless of his/her income, if:

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 his own support. Scholarships are considered third party support and not as support provided by the student.

3. He lived with the parent (including temporary absences such as away at school) for more than half the year

[cathymcrae]

There is nowhere on the form to qualify my 18 year old in high school there is no where on the form to claim my child do I claim him as earned income credit or a dependent or both

[Hal_Al]

An 18 year old, that lives with you, is claimed as both a dependent and for EIC, unless you have released the exemption to the non-custodial parent.  What he is not claimed for is the child tax credit

[inmarktu]

I claimed my 18 year old son on my 2019 taxes.  He's a senior in high school with an afternoon job.  he made less than required to file but hasn't yet   can he file and get the stimulus check if i have already claimed him?

[KrisD15]

No, he will not be eligible for a stimulus check but he may get a credit on his 2020 tax return (the one we file next year) depending on his filing status for 2020. 

[ds1270]

My software stipulates that a child at age 17 is not considered a qualifying child. The correct age is 19. Can I have my software corrected? The return I have done regards a dependent child of 17 to be an OTHER dependent incorrectly. Please respond so I can prepare a corrected return.

Thank you

Daniel St John

[DoninGA]

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@ds1270 wrote:

My software stipulates that a child at age 17 is not considered a qualifying child. The correct age is 19. Can I have my software corrected? The return I have done regards a dependent child of 17 to be an OTHER dependent incorrectly. Please respond so I can prepare a corrected return.

Thank you

Daniel St John

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You may have misunderstood something on one of the pages for a dependent.

A child age 17 or older is not eligible for the Child Tax Credit.  They are eligible for the Other Dependent tax credit.

Your child can be claimed as a dependent under the Qualifying Child rules if the are under the age of 19.  Or if they are a full time student under the age of 24.  Or at any age if they permanently and totally disabled.

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.

[JeffreyR77]

For tax year 2020, a dependent child of 17 is considered to be an OTHER dependent for the purpose of the dependent child credit. This is correct.  Children age 16 and under are eligible for a $2,000 tax credit on their parent's tax returns.  Dependents age 17 and older qualify for a $500 credit.

[pfischer127]

18 yrs. 

Worked 3 months, part-time. 

Senior in high school.   I   always claim him.

Do I still or does he file his own for the wages.

[VolvoGirl]

You can claim him.  You don't include his income on your return. It would only go on their return if they are required to file one. To file a separate return for your dependent you need to set up a new account. Online is only good for one return per account. You can use the same email address for 5 accounts. They can probably use the Free Edition. How to start a new online return
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/how-do-i-start-another-return-in-turbotax-onli...

Be sure on their return they check the box that says they can be claimed on someone else’s return. If their only income is W2 and under 12,950 they do not have to file a return except to get back any withholding taken out.

Filing requirements for a dependent
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/children-dependents/help/do-i-need-to-file-my-own-taxes-if-i-m-a-d...

[Bsanchez]

What IRS FORM CAN I USE TO CLAIM MY 18 YR OLD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT FOR 2022 IN MY 2023 TAXES 

[xmasbaby0]

@Bsanchez You enter your child as a dependent in My Info.  You need to enter her name, date of birth and Social Security number.

There is an oddly worded question that asks if the child paid over half their own support.  Say NO to that question.

If your child is 18 you do not get the child tax credit but you can get the $500 credit for other dependents.

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/does-my-childdependent-qualify-for-the-child-tax-credit-or-the-credit-f...