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New Member
posted Mar 24, 2025 1:58:21 PM

Claiming a dependent

If my daughter lives with me year round and works full time, can I claim her as a dependent since I provide her living expenses? If I do claim her will it affect her federal income tax return or potential of receiving a refund?

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1 Replies
Expert Alumni
Mar 24, 2025 2:00:47 PM

Probably not, unless she is a student.  

 

In order to claim a child as a dependent, they either have to be a Full Time student if they are over 18 years old and under 24 or they have to earn less than $5,050.  If these do not apply, even if you are providing for her living expenses, you cannot claim her as a dependent.

 

 

To claim someone as a Qualifying Relative, they must be:

  • Your child ( including step children, adoptive children and foster children) or a descendent of them
  • Your sibling (including half siblings) or a child of your sibling or a sibling-in-law
  • Your parent or grandparents, including step parents and in laws
  • Any other person that lived with you for the entire tax year
  • Not a qualifying child of another taxpayer
  • Someone that you provided over half of their support for during the tax year
  • Has less than $5,050 in income (not counting social security)

The following criteria must be met to claim someone as a qualifying child:

  • Your child (including adopted and foster children), your sibling, or a descendent of any of them.
  • Age 18 or younger at the end of the tax year OR under 24 (and younger than you and your spouse) if they are a full-time student
  • Lived with you for more than 6 months during the tax year
  • They did not provide more than half of their own support (social security does not count)
  • They did not file a joint return, unless it was to claim a refund