How does the dependent work

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A dependent is someone you can claim on your return, that may qualify you for additional credits.  

You can claim a child, relative, friend, fiancé(e), and so on as a dependent on your 2023 taxes as long as they meet the following requirements:

Qualifying child:

• They're related to you.
• They aren't claimed as a dependent by someone else.
• They're a US citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
• They aren’t filing a joint return with their spouse.
• They're under the age of 19 (or 24 for full-time students).
  • There's no age limit for permanently and totally disabled children.
• They lived with you for more than half the year (exceptions apply).
• They didn't provide more than half of their own support for the year.

Qualifying relative:

• They don't have to be related to you (despite the name).
• They aren't claimed as a dependent by someone else.
• They're a US citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
• They aren’t filing a joint return with their spouse.
• They lived with you the entire year (exceptions apply).
• They made less than $4,700 in 2023.
• You provided more than half of their financial support.

When you add someone as a dependent, TurboTax will ask a series of questions to make sure you can claim them. 

Here are the steps to follow  to add a dependent:

1. Open or continue your return in TurboTax.
2. Select My Info in the menu.
3. Select the Add another dependent button if you need to add someone. 

For more information see the following article:

Who can I claim as my dependent?