Dad claimed me and we have spoken or seen each other in years I want to claim myself

[reaston24]

We haven't spoken in years...I want to claim myself. It won't allow me since it said someone else can claim me. How can I change this?

[VolvoGirl]

All you can do is print and mail your return and the IRS will determine who can claim you.   How old are you?  Are you a full time Student?  How much income did you have?

When do I have to answer YES to being claimed as a Dependent?
https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-return/answer-yes-claimed-dependent/...

[xmasbaby0]

If your e-file is being rejected because someone else has already used your Social Security number on a tax return, then the only way you can file is by mail.  You will need to print, sign and date your return in ink, and mail it in.     The IRS will sort out whether you could be claimed as someone else's dependent. 

But----you say you have not spoken to your father in some time---but you do not mention your age, whether you were a full-time student, or how much income you had in 2023--which can all be criteria to determine if someone else could claim you.   

Here is the criteria that is used to determine if you can be claimed as someone else's dependent:

WHO CAN I CLAIM AS A DEPENDENT?

You can claim a child, relative, friend, or fiancé (etc.) as a dependent on your 2023 taxes as long as they meet the following requirements:

Qualifying child

• They're related to you.
• They aren't claimed as a dependent by someone else.
• They're a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
• They aren’t filing a joint return with their spouse.
• They're under the age of 19 (or 24 for full-time students).
• No age limit for permanently and totally disabled children.
• They lived with you for more than half the year (exceptions apply).
• They didn't provide more than half of their own support for the year.

Qualifying relative

• They don't have to be related to you (despite the name).
• They aren't claimed as a dependent by someone else.
• They're a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
• They aren’t filing a joint return with their spouse.
• They lived with you the entire year (exceptions apply).
• They made less than $4,700 in 2023.   (For 2024 —  $5050)
• You provided more than half of their financial support.

When you add someone as a dependent, we'll ask a series of questions to make sure you can claim them. There may be other tax benefits you can get when you claim a dependent.

Related Information:

• What does "financially support another person" mean?
• What is a "qualifying person" for Head of Household?

[xmasbaby0]

When you mail a tax return, you need to attach any documents showing tax withheld, such as your W-2’s or any 1099’s.  Use a mailing service that will track it, such as UPS or certified mail so you will know the IRS/state received the return.

Federal and state returns must be in separate envelopes and they are mailed to different addresses.  Read the mailing instructions that print with your tax return carefully so you mail them to the right addresses.

[Hal_Al · Accepted solution]

Q. I want to claim myself. It won't allow me since it said someone else can claim me. How can I change this?

A. You can't change it.  If somebody else CAN claim you, you are not allowed to claim yourself unless that person does not actually claim you. The "will that person actually claim you" question comes up in the interview, after the "can someone claim you" question.  

With the tax law change, effective 2018, most dependents will get the same refund whether they claim themselves or not. The personal exemption has been eliminated and the standard deduction increased. However, you only qualify for an education credit , if you are not a dependent. Even then, there are additional restrictions on claiming the refundable education credit. 

If someone else claimed you, as a dependent,  inappropriately, and if they file first, your return will be rejected if e-filed. You would then need to file a return on paper, claiming yourself, if appropriate. The IRS will process your return and send you your refund, in the normal time. Shortly (up to a year) thereafter, you’ll receive a letter from the IRS, stating that your exemption was claimed on another return. It will tell you that if you made a mistake to file an amended return and if you didn't make a mistake to do nothing. The other party will get the same letter you did. If one of you doesn't file an amended return, unclaiming the exemption, the next letter, from the IRS, will require you to provide proof. Be sure to reply in a timely manner.

Winner gets the tax benefits; loser gets to pay the IRS back with penalties and interest.

[Opus 17]

I think there are a lot of unspoken assumptions being made here.  First we need to clarify some things because your question is not clear.

1. Is the program telling you that you can be claimed, or did you try to e-file and the IRS rejected it because you were already claimed by someone else?

2. How old are you, where do you live most of the time, are you in school full time, and what is your taxable income?

(If you were correctly claimed, there is nothing you can do about it except change your answer and e-file.  If you were incorrectly claimed, you can print your return as-is and mail it.  To know if you were correctly claimed, we need the answers to those questions.)