I’m 17 and I did a tax return but someone told me I messed up because I didn’t say I was a dependent

[gabrielelholmes]

I’ve already submitted it so I’m not sure if I’ve done a crime

[xmasbaby0]

You can still be claimed as a qualifying child dependent at the age of 17 and should have said so on your own tax return. You are not eligible to receive stimulus money.  And.....if you said on your own return that you cannot be claimed as someone else's dependent and your return somehow gets accepted before your parents file their tax return---you have just messed up their return.  They will not be able to e-file and will have to mail their return--which will take much much longer for them.

When you do not know--or even if you are a little unsure--- the time to ask questions is BEFORE you file a tax return.  It is a lot easier to fix mistakes then. 

Did you actually e-file it?  Did you click a big orange button that said "Transmit my returns now?"  

If you did e-file, then you wait for now.  Right now your return is just in "pending" status on  a server.  It will stay there until the end of January when the IRS starts to accept/reject 2020 tax returns.   If you get lucky, they will reject your tax return and then you will be able to fix your mistake.   Post back here when you get the email in late January to let us know if your return was accepted or rejected.   Let's all hope for rejection.

[xmasbaby0]

@gabrielelholmes If it's any comfort to you.....the mistake you made is VERY common.   Teenagers and students filing first tax returns make this mistake all the time.  You did not commit a "crime" -- you made a mistake and it can be fixed.  With some possible big time aggravation.....but it can be fixed.

[gabrielelholmes]

So what should I do if they accept the tax return? Will this cost my parents any money?

[Opus 17]

---

@gabrielelholmes wrote:

So what should I do if they accept the tax return? Will this cost my parents any money?

---

First of all, wait.  The IRS does not open e-filing until at least January 27, although they may accept some unscheduled test returns earlier.  If the IRS accepts your return and you did not check the box for "I can be claimed as a dependent by someone else" then this is what will happen.

1. Your parents will be blocked from e-filing if they claim you as a dependent.  They should still claim you as a dependent, but they will have to print and mail their return.  (They should not remove you and e-file, and then amend later. This causes more problems than it solves.)

2. You may receive up to $1800 in stimulus payments.  This is tax fraud.

3. You can file an amended return, beginning in March, to change your answer on that box.  If you received a stimulus rebate because you did not check the box, you will have to pay it back.  If you amend before April 15, you won't owe interest or penalties on the repayment.  But don't spend the stimulus payments when you get them!

3a. (Note, whether or not you amend, your parents will have to file by mail.  The e-file block created by you filing first won't be removed this filing season even if you amend, the database is simply not very efficient.)

4. If you don't or can't amend your return, you and/or your parents will get a letter from the IRS in 6-9 months asking for clarification.  If you explain that you are their dependent, they won't have to pay anything back, but you will have to repay the stimulus with interest and late fees.

If the IRS rejects your return for some reason, you can check that box when you go in to fix whatever else is wrong, and if you re-transmit a correct return and it is accepted, then all is well and you don't need to amend and your parents won't have any problems.   (Remember that re-submitting a rejected return is not the same as amending.  If your return is rejected, the IRS never sees it, so you are still submitting an original tax return.  Amending means changing a return that has been accepted and processed.)