Dependent

[pomanug2]

My daughter a full time college student..lives at home and I fully provide..I plan on claiming her..but she has a part time job and made $21000..is it more Beneficial for me to claim her and she files 0 or me not claim and she files 1..

[xmasbaby0]

It is not a choice.   If she can be claimed then she has to say on her own return that she can be claimed as someone else's dependent.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/dependents/help/when-do-i-have-to-answer-yes-to-being-claimed-as-a...

MY DEPENDENT HAD A JOB

If your dependent has a W-2 for his after-school job, summer job, etc. you do not include the information on your own return. You can still claim your child as a dependent on your own return.  He/she can file his own return for a refund of some of his withheld wages (he won’t get back anything for Social Security or Medicare), but MUST indicate on it that he can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return.  (Supervise this closely or prepare it for him!)

If your dependent’s earnings were over $400 and were reported on a 1099Misc or 1099NEC then he must file a return and pay self-employment tax for Social Security and Medicare.

You might also want to use free software from the IRS Free File versions:

https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/

[DawnC]

If you CAN claim her, she has to indicate that she CAN be claimed.   But that depends on her age and some other factors.   

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.

She gets to take the standard deduction either way and has to file a tax return.   

Just go through the dependent questions and answer them honestly - TurboTax will show her as your dependent if you meet the qualifications.   

If you claim her as a dependent, you report any education credits.    If you can claim her, but don't, she still has to indicate that she can be claimed.  

On your daughter's return - If she qualifies to be claimed as a dependent, she must answer “yes” that she can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return (yours).  She’ll also be asked if the person who could claim her, will claim her, which only impacts her eligibility for certain education credits.