What do I do if a relative unknowingly claimed my 2 kids as her dependents? Now my filing was rejected.

[Mike9241]

all you can do is mail in your return. this is no way to fix this type of rejection

[xmasbaby0]

Someone else claimed my dependent and my return was rejected

If someone else claimed your dependent already, then your e-filed return will be rejected.  Print, sign and mail your own return which claims your dependent.  Mailed returns are processed differently by the IRS.  It will take some time (maybe even up to a year) but eventually the IRS will contact both parties and sort out who could rightfully claim the dependent.  The person who wrongfully claimed the dependent will face repayment of refund $, plus penalties.

When you mail a tax return, you need to attach any documents showing tax withheld, such as your W-2’s or any 1099’s.  Use a mailing service that will track it, such as UPS or certified mail so you will know the IRS/state received the return.

[Hal_Al]

If you and your kids lived with the relative, for more than half the tax year, it is possible for the kids to be her dependents.  But, she is not allowed to claim them, if you plan to claim them instead.

.A child closely related to a taxpayer can be a “Qualifying Child (QC)” dependent, regardless of the child's income, if:

1. He is under age 19, or under 24 if a full time student for at least 5 months of the year, or  is totally & permanently disabled
2. He did not provide more than 1/2 his own support
3. He lived with the relative (including temporary absences) for more than half the year
4. He is younger than the relative (not applicable for a disabled child)
5. If the child meets the rules to be a qualifying child of more than one person, the relative must be the person entitled to claim the child as a qualifying child (this essentially means that she must have the parent’s permission to claim the child, if the child also lived with the parent more than half the year)
6. If the parents of a child can claim the child as a qualifying child but no parent so claims the child, no one else can claim the child as a qualifying child unless that person's adjusted gross income (AGI) is higher than the highest AGI of any of the child's parents who can claim the child.

See full dependent rules at: https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/tax-tips/Family/Rules-for-Claiming-a-Dependent-on-Your-Tax-Ret...