Recovery Rebate Credit for teenager

[chantax3596]

Our son is 18 (full time student) who has a part time job and earned about $1200 in 2020.

If he file his own individual tax return and we don't claim him as dependent, TurboTax says he is eligible for $1800 relief, $1200 from CARES act and $600  at end of 2020.

Is this legal and lawful to file this way and claim the $1800 for him?

[Bsch4477]

If you CAN claim him as a dependent when he files his own return he must check the box saying that someone else can claim him which makes him not eligible for the stimulus. 

[xmasbaby0]

No it would actually be a form of tax fraud.    Your 18 year old CAN be claimed as a dependent.  As such, he is required to say on his own return that he can be claimed as someone else's dependent.   He cannot choose whether he is a dependent or not---he is supposed to follow the tax law---and that is probably what you as a parent really want to teach him.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/dependents/help/when-do-i-have-to-answer-yes-to-being-claimed-as-a...

[chantax3596]

thanks for answer.  We are not sure that's why we ask if it is "legal and lawful".