I support my brother who has a mental illness but I don’t have is social security number. How can I file him on my taxes?

[shellieldonaldso]

He is 32 and I can’t ask him and he is not currently speaking. I am his oldest sister and closest relative. His things were lost in storage when he became ill and distant from reality.

[Opus 17]

Not without the SSN.

Additionally, you must provide more than half his total financial support, and he can't have more than $4700 of taxable income.  Support includes government assistance, charity, and so on.  If he receives disability payments, section 8 housing, Medicaid funding for his illness, or other support, you have to be able to prove that, considering all his living and medical expenses and all the sources of support, you provide more than half the total. 

[DoninGA]

You need to contact your local Social Security office.  Explain your situation and find out what you need to do to get his SSN and a copy of his SS card.

Go to this SSA website for locating a SS office near you - https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp

[Opus 17]

---

@DoninGA wrote:

You need to contact your local Social Security office.  Explain your situation and find out what you need to do to get his SSN and a copy of his SS card.

Go to this SSA website for locating a SS office near you - https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp

---

I suspect the taxpayer will need to have their relative put into some sort of guardianship with the relative as guardian or conservator, before the SSA will recognize their standing to hand out that information.  Good luck. 

[xmasbaby0]

And.....understand that claiming your brother as a dependent only gets you a $500 credit for other dependents, and maybe the ability to enter medical expenses you paid for him as itemized medical expenses on your own tax return.  It is very difficult to have enough medical expenses to meet the threshold to use them to affect your tax due or refund.  Will you be itemizing other medical expenses and/or mortgage interest, property tax, charity donations, etc.?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4499708-what-is-the-500-credit-for-other-dependents-family-tax-cre...

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/children-dependents/help/what-does-financially-support-another-per...