Tax Year Prior to 2020: Claiming Girlfriend and Her Child as Dependents?

[KatieJ015]

My girlfriend and her child have lived with me all year, but her name was still on a lease with her ex-boyfriend until May 2019. Does this affect my capability of claimimg her and her child as my dependents?

[Bsch4477]

That lease has no bearing on dependency. To claim her she has to have earned less than $4,200.  Assuming she doesn’t have a tax filing requirement you can also claim her child. 

[VictorW9]

If she and her child passes these four “tests” then they may be to qualified as a dependent. She or her child:

• Is not a “qualifying child” of a taxpayer. The IRS has specific qualifying child rules based on relationship, age, residency, and joint return
• Earned less than $4,150 in taxable income (amount of the personal exemption) in 2018
• Did not provide their own support. You must provide more than half of the total support for the year
• Lived with you all year as a member of your household (keep in mind: dependent relatives do not have to live with you)

Check this article on the subject My Girlfriend or Boyfriend as a Dependent

[Bsch4477]

@VictorW9  You’re using 2018 figures. 

[Foster90]

So wat does that mean? can you claim your girlfriends non blood related who has an income of less than 4,000 in fact made less than 2,000 and have lived with my only under my support all year long is legal ? Because my friend have been claiming their girlfriends child since she was born in 2015 but He accidentally claimed her as his niece but has no red flags or problems from the IRS...,well He submitted his federal return for 2020 accidentally forgetting to punch girlfriends child social security number so Hesscared of filling out a 1040x and get problems from the IRS. He has the child’s SS card and birth certificate receipts for diapers, clothes, medical supplies outside of her pediatrician or the hospital. He doesn't want to be audited for this year and or know he’s  been doing it wrong all these years and get prosecuted..,what does he do and what is his best option