How do I claim my 17 year old child?

[kramos]

On Turbo Tax it says I cannot claim my son because he is 17 yet it says I can claim him if under 19.  Where do I claim him?  I do not get a tax credit if I enter his information for children.

[mathteachingmom · Accepted solution]

The child tax credit is only for dependents who are under the age of 17 at the end of the tax year. If your child turned 17 during 2014, then you can no longer receive child tax credit on your tax return for the child.

However, the child should still be your qualifying dependent on the tax return as long as that child meets the definition for qualifying child dependent. You still receive the personal exemption deduction for that child.

[kramos]

Thank you! I just went through again at a much slower pace and thing I finally got that too. Thank you again!

[mathteachingmom]

You are very welcome.

[vonnbz33]

Very helpful. I was about to start calling somebody

[andrew2]

why 17 though? seems odd. cant vote and isnt a legal age

[chammond75]

My child still in school.  So they shouldn't passed that law . I should still get it as long as he's in school .

[sarahj]

Yea, we still pay for everything of his why can't we still get the child credit? Teens are more expensive then babies anyway.

[arh572]

This is bs!!!!

[tinkerbell22269]

YES BS!!!

[xmasbaby0]

If your child turned 17 in 2016, even on the last day of 2016, you do not get the child tax credit.  There are no exceptions to the rule.  You can still claim your child as a dependent.

[VolvoGirl]

Sorry that's the rule.  Complain to your congressman.

The Child had to be UNDER 17 on Dec31 to get the Child Tax Credit.  But the year she/he was born you got the Child Tax Credit for the whole year, not just after they were born.  So it evens out.

[csanchez2906]

or each dependent  in dependent detail in a return, if the eligible for child tax credit is checked then that dependent age must be under 17

[breda12-]

So how do I claim my child who just turned 18, who is still in high school and dependent on me when turbo tax say it's not allowed. What do I do on turbo tax?

[test23]

no really, bc we adopted 15mn. old-I am with others they are not legal to be on their own prior to age 18 so it should also go to age 19 if the kiddo does not finish high school until age 19, rarely have we ever seen a penny from what feels like a scam meaning either give back x number of dollars or don't and if you don't own anything then roll it to another year, and BS if you make too much