Somebody owes me money and wants to give me his tax paper, can I claim someone else taxes on my name?

[gabypr007]

A person owes me money but dont have it right now so he offered the tax papers and before I do anything I wanted to see if that gets me in any sort of trouble with the IRS. Can I claim somebody else tax paper?

[CarolynM · Accepted solution]

Yes, you will get in trouble with the IRS.  You can only claim someone on your taxes who qualifies as a dependent and you cannot file someone else's taxes to get their refund. Even with their consent, it is considered tax fraud. 

I suggest the person complete their taxes ASAP via e-file to get their refund. 

He can file with TurboTax Online Free Edition. The program can help you every step of the way. Right now, we offer Absolute Zero in which there is no charge for either his federal or state tax returns. 

If he has a tax situation the program can't handle (rental or investment income) he may need to upgrade to Deluxe, Premier, or Self-Employed, for which there is a charge.

For more information about TurboTax Online Free Edition, follow this link: TurboTax Online Free Edition

He can also use TurboTax Freedom Edition if you qualify by making less than $33,000 a year, or in the military making less than $66,000.  For more information, follow this link: Freedom Edition. To get started, click here:  www.taxfreedom.com.