Dependent Taxes

[hanh234]

During the year 2023, I made only 7K which is less than the ~12-13K minimum salary that IRS expects of independents to file for. Knowing this, my father wants to claim me as a dependent on his taxes. If I were to file my taxes (on my own) and click the option that I'm dependent on someone else's taxes, would my father be audited/notified? 

[VolvoGirl]

No that would work.  BUT how old are you?  He can only claim you if you made less than $4,700 unless you are under 19 or  under 24 and a Full Time Student.  Then he can claim you no matter how much you make.  

The13,850 minimum is only for your filing requirement.  You don't have to file if you only have W2 income under 13,850 (2023) but you can file to get back any withholding taken out in boxes 2 or 17. But you don't get boxes 4 or 6 back. If you got a 1099Misc or 1099NEC you have to file it as self employment income no matter how small the amount.

In fact if someone CAN claim you as a dependent you have to check that box even if they do not claim you.  

[DoninGA]

If you are age 19 or older, not a full time student and have income of $4,700 or more in 2023 then no one can claim you as a dependent.

No one is notified if you indicate that you can be claimed as a dependent on your tax return.

[xmasbaby0 · Accepted solution]

You are not providing enough details for us.   If you are a student under the age of 24, then your parent can claim you as a dependent.  Or....even if you are not a student, if you had less than $4700 of income and were supported by your father, you can be claimed.     If you CAN be claimed, then if you file a tax return of your own, you MUST say on your own return that you can be claimed as someone else's dependent.   It is perfectly okay for you to file a tax return in order to seek a refund of tax withheld from your paychecks.

CAN I FILE A RETURN IF I AM A DEPENDENT?

If you can be claimed as a dependent on your parents’ return, you can still file your own return so that you can receive a refund of taxes withheld.  Your W-2 will show federal tax withheld in box 2, and state tax withheld in box 17.  (You will not get back anything for Social Security or Medicare withheld.) Be sure that on your own return you say that you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return.

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

Filing your own return will not get your father audited, nor will he be notified that you filed.  However---if you file a return saying that you cannot  be claimed, and you CAN be claimed, you can cause problems for him that will make it impossible for him to e-file.   

Is there some reason you do not want your parent to know you are filing a tax return?

Do you meet the criteria to be claimed as someone else's dependent?    Are you a qualified child or qualified relative?   This is what your father has to go by:

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.
• 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?

I SHOULD HAVE SAID I COULD BE CLAIMED AS A DEPENDENT

Did you say you could not be claimed as someone else’s dependent, but it turns out your parent(s) can claim you?  Now your parents’ return is being rejected when they e-file, or it will be rejected.  That means your parents must print, sign, and mail their return.  They can still claim you as a dependent, but they cannot e-file now.  Not even if they wait for you to amend, so they should not wait for you to do that.

Your part in fixing this is to wait until your return has been fully processed and you have received you refund.  THEN you need to file an amended return, called a 1040X, to change the way you answered that question in My  Info about whether you can be claimed as someone else’s dependent. 

[hanh234]

I'm currently 21 and as a student, I made 7K in 2023 from a job that my father doesn't know about. (I work in the ER for clinical work)

[hanh234]

Ahh I see, I'm 21 and a full-time student right now. I work in the ER for clinical experience and made 7K in 2023. I plan to file as a dependent (like submit my own taxes separately but still click on the option stating that someone has claimed me as a dependent on their own taxes) so that I could get back any withheld taxes/hopefully get the American Education Credit (whtever tht college credit tax thing is). 

[hanh234]

Oh okay. I'm currently 21 as a full-time student and worked in the ER (for clinical experience) where I made 7K and just wanted to know whether I could file my taxes (still will claim myself as a dependent since my father will put me as a dependent on his taxes). (: Thank you for letting me know!

[DoninGA]

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@hanh234 wrote:

I'm currently 21 and as a student, I made 7K in 2023 from a job that my father doesn't know about. (I work in the ER for clinical work)

---

So long as you have not provided over one-half of your own support, then you can be claimed as a dependent under the Qualifying Child rules if you meet 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.

[VolvoGirl]

I don't think you can get the education credit on your return since you are a dependent.   It would go in your dad's return so tell him you qualify for it.  

[Hal_Al]

Q. I plan to file as a dependent (like submit my own taxes separately but still click on the option stating that someone has claimed me as a dependent on their own taxes) so that I could get back any withheld taxes. Can I also get the American Education Credit (whatever that college credit tax thing is)?

A. No. For two reasons. 1. Just being a dependent disqualifies you.  2. A full time unmarried student, under age 24, even if you don't qualify as a dependent, is only eligible for the refundable portion of the American Opportunity Credit if he supports himself by working (more than half your support must come from your own earned income, $7000 isn't enough). You cannot be supporting yourself on parental support, 529 plans or student loans & grants.

It is usually best if the parent claims that credit. If the parent doesn't qualify (usually because their income is too high), then the credit is lost.  If your income was high enough to have an actual tax liability, there is a provision to allow you to claim the non refundable credit.  But that's not your case.