If my 18 year old wants to claim himself on his taxes but work 6 months fulltime, what is the amount difference he would get as opposed to if he file for him self?

[katbermudez72]

He turn 18 in the beginning of September.

[xmasbaby0 · Accepted solution]

Your 18 year old cannot claim himself.  The IRS rule is if he CAN be claimed on another person's return he cannot claim his own exemption.  

If your dependent has a W-2 for his after-school job, etc. you do not include the information on your own return. You can still claim your child as a dependent on your own return.  He/she can file his own return for a refund of some of his withheld wages (he won’t get back anything for Social Security or Medicare), but MUST indicate on it that he can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return.  (Supervise this closely or prepare it for him!)

If your dependent’s earnings were over $400 and were reported on a 1099Misc then he must file a return and pay self-employment tax for Social Security and Medicare.  You may want to use this version of TT for that:

https://turbotax.intuit.com/taxfreedom/

[shellyr1066]

So I can claim him as a dependent because he lives withe.full.time but he can not file his own taxes 

[xmasbaby0]

@shellyr1066 No that is wrong.  Please re-read the reply that is directly above your own post.   Your 18 year old CAN file a tax return in order to seek a refund.  BUT he has to say on his own return that he can be claimed on someone else's tax return.  That question is in My Info.  He will be asked if he can be claimed as someone else's dependent and he has to say YES.

[Hal_Al]

Q.  What is the amount difference he would get as opposed to if he file for him self?

A. Nothing.

With the tax law change, effective 2018, most dependents, under 24, will get the same refund whether they claim themselves or not. The personal exemption has been eliminated and the standard deduction increased.

[snailpail]

What happens if he does file and puts that no one can claim him? Does that keep me from claiming him on mine?

[CatinaT1]

If he claims himself, you can not claim him.

[xmasbaby0]

@snailpail 

MY DEPENDENT CLAIMED HIS OWN EXEMPTION

Your dependent filed a return without saying he could be claimed on your return and your return was rejected?  AFTER his return has been fully processed and he has received his refund, he has to file an amended return that says he can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return.  Amended returns (form 1040X) have to be printed and mailed.  They cannot be e-filed; it takes the IRS a couple of months to process them.  Meanwhile, since your e-filed return has been rejected, you now have to print and mail it in to the IRS.  You will not be able to e-file. You do not have to wait for your dependent’s amended return to be processed.  Remember that when you mail a return, you need to include copies of your W-2, etc. with your return.

For your dependent:

How do I amend my 2019 TurboTax Online return?

[shorby12]

Is it illegal for my 18 year old to mark they can't be claimed and for me not to claim them?

[Hal_Al]

Only the first part is illegal.  You don't have to claim a dependent.  But, he can't not mark his form that he can be claimed if he knows he can.

[xmedina]

what happens if my daughter file on her own, and anwers No to question "Can some one claim you as a depent".

[Hal_Al]

@xmedina 

It depends on what you want to do and what yo do do.

If someone else claimed your child inappropriately, including the child herself , and if they file first, your return will be rejected if e-filed. You would then need to file a return on paper, claiming the child as  appropriate. The IRS will process your return and send you your refund, in the normal time.

In the mean time, your daughter can file an amended return, unclaiming herself.  You do not need to wait for her to do so to file your paper return.  She cannot amend until her original return is fully processed (she gets her refund).

If she does not amend, shortly (up to a year) thereafter, you'll receive a letter from the IRS, stating that your child was claimed on another return. It will tell you that if you made a mistake to file an amended return and if you didn't make a mistake to do nothing. The other party will get the same letter you did. If one of you doesn't file an amended return, unclaiming the child, the next letter, from the IRS, will require you to provide proof. Be sure to reply in a timely manner.

Winner gets the tax benefits; loser gets to pay the IRS back with penalties and interest.  The custodial parent almost always wins.