gap year and dependent status

[iguanaroar]

Hi. My son took a gap year the ended May 2023.  So he graduated HS in 2022, travelled until May 2023, then worked for the summer before he went to college in Sept 2023.  He made around $9000 in the summer of 2023 before going to school.  Can I still claim him as a dependent since he was living with me between when he got home and went to college and I was supporting him for the whole of 2023?

[DoninGA]

If he is age 19 or older and was not a full time student in 2023 and his gross income in 2023 was $4,700 or more, you will not be able to claim him as a dependent on the 2023 tax return.

If he is under the age of 24 in 2024 and is a full time student in 2024 you should be able to claim him as a dependent on your 2024 tax return under the Qualifying Child rules.

[KrisD15]

Additionally, it may be helpful for you to understand the IRS Definition of a Student in order for that student to be claimed as a dependent. 

If the student attended class at least part of at least any 5 months of the year, they qualify as a student. 

According to the IRS:

 "To qualify as a student, your child must be, during some part of each of any 5 calendar months of the year:

1. A full-time student at a school that has a regular teaching staff and course of study, and a regularly enrolled student body at the school; or
2. A student taking a full-time, on-farm training course given by a school described in (1), or by a state, county, or local government agency.

The 5 calendar months don't have to be consecutive."