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Level 2
December 31, 2025
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Dependents

  • December 31, 2025
  • 1 reply
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Turbo tax 2025 is not allowing me to claim my college student child as a dependent because she made over $5200. That income limit is only for a qualifying relative, not a child. I provided over half of her support and she meets all other requirements. Is this a change in the law or an error?

    Best answer by Hal_Al

    Expert Reviewed

     To be a qualifying child dependent, the student must be a full time student and under age 24 on 12-31-25 and live with you for more than half the year (time away at college counts as living with you).  There is no change in that rule for 2025. If that's your case, you've, most likely, answered something wrong, in the interview.  Go thru it again. If that doesn't work, delete the dependent and re-enter.

     

    There are two types of dependents, "Qualifying Children"(QC) and Other ("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, student status, a relationship test and residence test.

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

     

    So, it doesn't matter how much he earned. What matters is how much he spent on support. Money he put into savings does not count as support he spent on himself.

    The support value of the home, provided by the parent, is the fair market rental value of the home plus utilities & other expenses divided by the number of occupants.

    1 reply

    Hal_Al
    Level 15
    Hal_AlLevel 15Answer
    Level 15
    December 31, 2025

    Expert Reviewed

     To be a qualifying child dependent, the student must be a full time student and under age 24 on 12-31-25 and live with you for more than half the year (time away at college counts as living with you).  There is no change in that rule for 2025. If that's your case, you've, most likely, answered something wrong, in the interview.  Go thru it again. If that doesn't work, delete the dependent and re-enter.

     

    There are two types of dependents, "Qualifying Children"(QC) and Other ("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, student status, a relationship test and residence test.

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

     

    So, it doesn't matter how much he earned. What matters is how much he spent on support. Money he put into savings does not count as support he spent on himself.

    The support value of the home, provided by the parent, is the fair market rental value of the home plus utilities & other expenses divided by the number of occupants.

    Level 15
    December 31, 2025

    After entering the information about your dependent, make sure you look carefully at the screen that lists "uncommon situations" and click that your dependent was a full-time student.  That screen has been tripping some users up.

    **Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
    hayden11Author
    Level 2
    December 31, 2025

    This was the issue, thanks!