My daughter was 23 years old in 2025 and a full time college student yet turbotax states that she does not qualify as my dependent. why?

[xmasbaby0]

If your dependent was a full-time college student, make sure you were careful on the MY INFO screen for “Uncommon situations” and that you indicated there that they were a student.

[LindaS5247]

It would depend on your individual facts and circumstances whether your daughter would qualify as your dependent.

A 23-year-old in college full-time can be claimed as a dependent on their parents' tax return if they are under age 24 by the end of the calendar year, and they are enrolled full-time for at least 5 months, and they do not provide more than half of their own support. 

They are as follows:

1. They must be their child, adopted child or foster child, brother or sister or a descendant of one of these. (i.e. This requirement is met if they are her grandchildren.) 
2. They lived with you more than half of the year (these exceptions apply).
3. They are under the age of 19 (unless they are a full-time student. In that case it is age 24. They can be any age if totally and permanently disabled.
4. She provided more than half of their support
5. The child does not file a joint return with anyone else (unless to claim a refund of taxes paid or withheld).

As xmasbaby0 mentions above, you may have answered something when inputting your information that caused TurboTax to determine your daughter was not eligible.

If she meets the requirements listed above, you should go back through your personal information and your daughters (click on "Edit" next to her name under your dependents) to make sure everything was answered correctly. 

• Make sure you have answered that she does not provide more than half of her own support (if she does not) and 
• Make sure you have answered that she can not be claimed on someone else's tax return, and
• Make sure you have answered that she was a student.  
• Watch for a screen labeled "Less Common Situations for [Dependent's Name]" where a checkbox for full-time student status is present.

Click here for additional information regarding dependents.

Click here for additional  information on who you can claim as a dependent.

Click here for additional information on how to claim a dependent.

Please return to Community if you have any additional information or questions and we would be happy to help.

[wlt1957]

I had a similar experience.    I deleted her entry, re-entered the information, and then selected "full time college study" from the uncommon situations list.