In 2018 Turbo Tax, how does one maintain custodial parent HOH status while relinquishing dependent exemption?

[au_smith]

How does Turbo Tax handle every other year claims of dependents if not by 8332 question?  I no longer find this question asked.

• I am custodial parent by decree
• Custodial parent status allows use of dependent to qualify for HOH
• Ex is allowed to claim dependent every other year (along with associated credits)

How do I denote that I have a qualifying dependent for HOH yet allow my ex to claim as dependent exemption for credit purposes?

[macuser_22 · Accepted solution]

See screenshots - what are you doing different.

[macuser_22]

If you are the custodial parent where the child physically lived for more than half the year (183 nights) then:

When you enter the dependent, you say that he/she is "Your child" (not you and your spouse if remarried),
he/she lived with you the whole year,
“no” the child did not pay more than half of his/her own support,
"yes", you have a custody agreement,
and "yes", the other parent is claiming this year.  

That will give you the EIC, Child Care Credit and Head of Household filing status if you otherwise qualify.

The child would be listed as "non-dependent EIC & Dependent Care only".

The other (non-custodial) parent can claim the child’s exemption and child tax credit only and needs a signed 8332 form to do so.

[au_smith]

These questions are not posed in the 2018 Turbo Tax Software.  They have been asked in previous versions.

"yes", you have a custody agreement,
and "yes", the other parent is claiming this year.

[macuser_22]

They are there.  Delete the dependent and re-enter.

[au_smith]

I deleted and re-entered.   I never allows me the opportunity to say that the child will be claimed as a dependent by someone else.

[macuser_22]

How old is the child?

[macuser_22]

How old is the child?

[au_smith]

in college

[au_smith]

I see the options that you got (screenshots) but I never get the option to say the child will be claimed as an exemption by his other parent.  Perhaps the options change at some age????

[macuser_22]

Yes age matters.  In college I assume older than age 18.

Once the child becomes an adult (Emancipated child),  age 18 (in almost all states, but a few are 19 and one is 21), then custody becomes mute and rules for custodial/noncustodial parent no longer apply.( See examples 5 & 6 in Pub 17 for more information).

Nobody can have custody of an adult.

While the child can still be a Qualifying Child dependent until the age of under 24 for a full time student, only the parent that the child physically lived with more than half the year, or would have lived with if not temporarily absent to attend school, can claim the child and ALL the benefits - they cannot be split.

The 8332 form and special rules for separated or divorced parent that live apart no longer apply.

See “Children of divorced or separated parents or parents who live apart” in IRS Pub 17 for full information.

<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/publications/p17#en_US_2017_publink1000170897">https://www.irs.gov/publications/...>

[au_smith]

Thanks for the info.  This is the1st time that TurboTax hasn't allowed us specify the dependent exemption to a specific parent.