Can I claim myself when my parents don't claim me?

Question

I was a full-time college student in 2006 until the month of August. When I graduated, I jumped right into a full-time position and I will make more than my parents do annually. Would I be able to claim myself because they didn't? That way I can also use my 1098T because they had no taxes to reduce. How do I know if my parents CAN claim me as a dependent but just didn't? This is confusing because the IRS.gov site states that if your parents can claim you but didn't, you still can't claim your own exemption.

Answer 1

If you were under the age of 24 at the end of the year, and you were a full-time student for some part of each of 5 months for the year, and YOUR PARENTS provided over half of YOUR support FOR THE YEAR, they CAN claim you and you can not, even if they don't.

If you can show that you provided over half your support FOR THE YEAR, you can claim yourself and your parents can not claim you.

Answer 2

You should be able to file your own return and claim yourself-YES! My daughter is 20 and files her own return claiming herself because we do not claim her as a dependent anymore--she lives in her own apt and is no longer in school. I think your parents can claim you if you are still a college student up until the age of 24.

Now the fact that you were in school until August, which is at least 6 months of the year, and if you lived at home, then your parents could claim you as a dependent. If you lived apart and were fully supporting yourself, you can claim yourself and they can't.

Why not just ask your parents what they are doing this year and if they are trying to claim you as a dependent? If they are not, you can claim yourself just like my daughter did.