If your college age children are not showing up as dependents, it is likely due to the way you answered the questions. Since they are in college, are they living away from home while in school? If so, did you still answer that they lived with you for the entire year or at least over half of the year? If not, this would stop them from being counted as dependents. When the kids are away temporarily, for something like being at school, this still counts as living at home. So if your home is their main home and they are only away for school, you would say they lived with you for the entire year.
The other answer to look at is the one that asks if they provided over half of their own support. If they did, they would not be eligible to be claimed as your dependent.
The best thing to do is go back and double check all of your answers to be sure they were answered accurately.
The following criteria must be met to claim someone as a qualifying child:
- Your child (including adopted and foster children), your sibling, or a descendent of any of them.
- Age 18 or younger at the end of the tax year OR under 24 (and younger than you and your spouse) if they are a full-time student or any age if they are totally and permanently disabled
- Lived with you for more than 6 months during the tax year
- They did not provide more than half of their own support (social security does not count)
- They did not file a joint return, unless it was to claim a refund
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