The questions is asking me how many days did my son live with me. He lives with me all the time. How many days do I need to put?

[lainiirsanay]

It also says " If your son was born or died during the year, use 366 days.

[xmasbaby0]

The first choice on that drop down is WHOLE YEAR----choose that.

[HelenC12]

I'm not sure where you're being asked to enter the number of days. If you are required to enter the number of days and your son lived with you the whole year, enter 366.

If you are in the dependent section, on the How many months did XXX live with your in 2020? screen, enter  "the whole year".

You can claim a child, relative, friend, or fiancé (etc.) as a dependent on your 2020 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 U.S. 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).
  • 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.

When you add someone as a dependent, we'll ask a series of questions to make sure you can claim them. There may be other tax benefits you can get when you claim a dependent.

[Roydon13]

The question: How many days did "my son" live with you? Is in the Head of Household section of the California state. If you enter less than 183 a box pops up: see instructions where temporary absences my be counted as days lived with you. But there are no instructions or help.

[KrisD15]

That would address times the dependent may be away at school or hospital.

If the child was born in the tax year, select 365 if the child did not live anywhere else. 

According to the IRS concerning Head of Household:

“Temporary absences.

 You and your qualifying person are considered to live together even if one or both of you are temporarily absent from your home due to special circumstances such as illness, education, business, vacation, military service, or detention in a juvenile facility. It must be reasonable to assume the absent person will return to the home after the temporary absence. You must continue to keep up the home during the absence.”