My son lives with his grandparents due to behaviour issues at home. I still financially support him. Can I claim him?

[KatrinaB · Accepted solution]

If the move is considered temporary and you meet the qualifications listed below then you can claim your son as a dependent.

• Are they related to you? The child can be your son, daughter, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, stepsister, adopted child or an offspring of any of them.
• Do they meet the age requirement? Your child must be under age 19 or, if a full-time student, under age 24. There is no age limit if your child is permanently and totally disabled.
• Do they live with you? Your child must live with you for more than half the year, but several exceptions apply.
• Do you financially support them? Your child may have a job, but that job cannot provide more than half of her support.
• Are you the only person claiming them? This requirement commonly applies to children of divorced parents. Here you must use the “tiebreaker rules,” which are found in IRS Publication 501. These rules establish income, parentage and residency requirements for claiming a child.