can i file for a tax return if i am a working student?

Question

i'm very confused about my situation i am a working student and my mom wants to claim me as a dependent is it possible? I make about 19000 a year and i haven't attended school since march.can i file for a tax return

i'm 22
i don't stay with my mom
i've been suporting myself since 2005

Answer 1

Having earned that amount of money, you *must* file a tax return. Your mother can only claim you as a dependent if she has provided more than 50% of your upkeep during the year, so if she's not providing support for you she shouldn't take a deduction for you. See the IRS' General Instructions for Form 1040 (tax return form), Line 6c for rules for taking the deduction for a qualifying child or dependent. However, if your mother is claiming you as a dependent, you can't take the standard deduction for yourself on your own tax return. See the IRS' Publication 929, Tax Rules for Children and Dependents, for more information (specifically, Dependent's Own Exemption).

It might be worth your while to calculate your taxes both with and without your standard deduction. If you can show your mother that there is a greater benefit if you take the deduction rather than her, she might let you have it. Besides, there is a good possibility that you'll actually owe rather than have the right to a refund if you claimed an exemption on your W-4. In other words, if you claimed Single 1 on your W-4 when you started work, not enough was withheld for taxes since your filing status would actually be Single 0.

Also know that disagreeing with your mother in this could cause trouble in your relationship with her, lol.

I've included links to the IRS website's online version of the Form 1040 instructrions and Publ. 929. Good luck :)

Answer 2

Make sure that you get the full benefit of your refund by staying far away from H & R Block or one of those other commercial places. The IRS has a program called VITA that does free tax preparation for households earning $40,000 or less. They can make sure that you get all your eligible credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, the Dependent Care Credit, etc.

This is an absolutely FREE service. They can e-file and do direct deposit so that you can get your return back in 7-10 days. There is no need to get a refund anticipation loan, which is really nothing more than a high interest loan where you would be paying to borrow your own money. You have worked hard for your money and you should be able to keep it! To find a VITA free tax site near you, call the IRS at: 1-800-829-1040.

Answer 3

You not only can, but must file a return. Your income is over the limit where you don't have to file.

Your mom can't claim you for 2006. At 22, you'd have to have been a full-time student for some part of each of five months of 2006 for her to claim you. If you haven't attended school since March, then that's three months at most, not five, so she can't claim you even if she meets all of the other tests to claim you. From what you've said, it's doubtful that she meets the other tests either, but just your age and non-student status prevents her from claiming you. I'm not sure though what you mean by being "a working student" if you're not in school.

File your return claiming yourself. If she claims you you also, you'll both hear from the IRS, who will be verifying who has the right to claim you. She'll have to pay back whatever money she saved by doing so.

You should tell her now that you will be claiming yourself, and that she can't legally claim you any more, to give her a chance to check it out before she files so she doesn't claim you and get into problems.

Answer 4

to answer that question what is your age?
and March of what year?

On first blush I may say no, but I need to know a few more things.