Boyfriend pays bills for me and my child

[Texas Roger]

What is your question? Are you asking if he can claim both of you? Did you have any income? How much? Did you live with him all year? Is he the father of your child?

[catthomas92]

We live with him but aren't married. I stay at home with the baby and he pays for everything. He is the father of my child.

[Texas Roger · Accepted solution]

He can claim you as a qualifying relative dependent since you lived with him all year and did not have over $4050 of income. He can claim his and your child as a qualifying child dependent for all the child tax benefits. The child would qualify him to file as head of household. 

[catthomas92]

Thank you! I wasn't sure if he could file me as a dependent since we aren't married and he isn't a blood relative. What happens if he made more than 4050?

[Texas Roger]

It doesn't matter how much income he had. The income limit for someone like you to be claimed by him is $4050. The only difference between you and an adult blood relative, is that a blood relative doesn't have to live with the person who claims them all year.

[catthomas92]

What if I only lived with him for 6 months? I worked from Feb 2016- April 2016. Moved with him in June 2016. Had the baby November 2016. Did not go back to work. He sent me money from April to June to support me while we waited for the apartment to become available. (I was supposed to move in April -which is why I left work- but there was a delay with the apartment.)

[Texas Roger]

He can't claim you because you did not live with him the entire year. I misunderstood you. He can still claim your and his daughter if the baby lived with both of you the entire time since the baby was born. He would indicate on his return that the baby lived with him the whole year which is the correct answer for a child born during the year.

How much income did you have? I thought it was less than $4050. Regardless of how much you made, you can file a return as single and would get a refund of any taxes withheld if your income was not more than $10,350. If you made more than $10,350, your are required to file a return.

The two of you can decide who is going to claim your baby. Either of you but not both can claim the child.

[catthomas92]

I just filed and said someone will claim me as a dependent. Its too late to fix it? Can he just not claim me and it will even out? I made less than 4050. He's going to claim her.

[Texas Roger]

You don't need to fix it. It would make no difference to your refund since you made less than $6300. Just make sure he doesn't claim you because you don't meet the requirements to be claimed by him.