Your are not required to enter a dependent on a tax return.
To enter your BF as a dependent they would have to be living in your home for the entire year. Their income in 2024 would have to be less than $5,050 and you would have to have provided over one-half of his support.
And meet all the other requirements under the Qualifying Relative rules.
To be a Qualifying Relative -
1. The person cannot be your qualifying child or the qualifying child of any other taxpayer. A child is not the qualifying child of any other taxpayer if the child's parent (or any other person for whom the child is defined as a qualifying child) is not required to file an income tax return or files an income tax return only to get a refund on income tax withheld.
2. The person either (a) must be related to you or (b) must live with you all year as a member of your household.
3. The person's gross income for the year must be less than $5,050 (social security does not count) in 2024
4. You must provide more than half of the person's total support for the year.
5. The person must be a U.S. citizen or a U.S., Canada, or Mexico resident for some part of the year.
6. The person must not file a joint return with their spouse with the following exception -
You can claim a person as a dependent who files a joint return if that person and that person’s spouse file the joint return only to claim a refund of income tax withheld or estimated tax paid.
Your are not required to enter a dependent on a tax return.
To enter your BF as a dependent they would have to be living in your home for the entire year. Their income in 2024 would have to be less than $5,050 and you would have to have provided over one-half of his support.
And meet all the other requirements under the Qualifying Relative rules.
To be a Qualifying Relative -
1. The person cannot be your qualifying child or the qualifying child of any other taxpayer. A child is not the qualifying child of any other taxpayer if the child's parent (or any other person for whom the child is defined as a qualifying child) is not required to file an income tax return or files an income tax return only to get a refund on income tax withheld.
2. The person either (a) must be related to you or (b) must live with you all year as a member of your household.
3. The person's gross income for the year must be less than $5,050 (social security does not count) in 2024
4. You must provide more than half of the person's total support for the year.
5. The person must be a U.S. citizen or a U.S., Canada, or Mexico resident for some part of the year.
6. The person must not file a joint return with their spouse with the following exception -
You can claim a person as a dependent who files a joint return if that person and that person’s spouse file the joint return only to claim a refund of income tax withheld or estimated tax paid.
If you are claiming a dependent, then of course you have to list them and their information on your tax return--how else do you think you could claim them? You are asking about claiming a boyfriend. If your BF lived with you the WHOLE year, and had less than $5050 of income (not counting Social Security) you may be able to claim BF as a "qualified relative" to get the $500 credit for other dependents.
Enter a dependent's information in MY INFO.
IRS interview to help determine who can be claimed:
https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/who-can-i-claim-as-a-dependent
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3113432-who-can-i-claim-as-my-dependent
CREDIT FOR OTHER DEPENDENTS