Can I be claimed as a dependant on my parent's tax return?

Question

There were two question-and-answer sets for this question but they were inconclusive. See:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070417103835AAW6zwY

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Amn6pONYwsM1e_LJOENe75JIzKIX?qid=20070114202442AAkrELA

Some people say an age over 24 is what makes the answer 'no' in any case. Some people say the answer is always 'no' if you became independant at one point. Some people say it is always 'yes' if you are currently dependant upon your parents, regardless of any other conditions.

So which is it?

Answer 1

OK, forget what you read on the other people's questions. They're not you and they have different situations. Can YOU be claimed as a dependent on YOUR parent's return? Assuming you're a US citizen, and barring anything huge you're not mentioning, here's the skinny of it:

You have to be either a "qualifying child" or a "qualifying relative" to be claimed as a dependent.

Qualifying Child-
1. Relationship: I'm assuming you're the son or daughter, so we check this one off.
2. Lived with the parent more than 1/2 of the year
3. Either you're under 19, under 24 and a full-time student, or disabled.
4. Parents provide over 1/2 of your support.

Qualifying Relative:
1. Specified relationship- check!
2. Income less than exemption amount of $8,450 for 2006.
3. Provides over 1/2 of the support
4. Aren't going to be claimed as a dependent on someone else's calendar year return starting in the middle of the current tax year. ... We'll just going and check this one off, too. :-)

Those are the basics. There are some specifics to the "student" status, but most college students qualify. Either one of the above will allow them to claim you as a dependent on their tax return.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

I went back and looked at the two questions, which were by the way phrased very differently, and the answers you got, and am not sure what you feel is inconclusive. Pretty much everyone said "yes", although in some cases the reasons given were not correct. Neither of your questions indicated that you had provided more than half of your own TOTAL support FOR THE YEAR, which would change the answer.

For 2006, since you were a full-time student for some part of five months of the year (Jan-May), you were considered a full-time student for the year, which meant that if the other requirements were met, your parents can claim you. Other requirements are that you lived with them for over half the year, not counting temporary absences for school (sounds like you met that one), you are under age 24 (OK) and didn't provide over half of your own support - so sounds like an unqualified YES to me, unless you can show that you provided over half of your own TOTAL support FOR THE YEAR.

For 2007, if you no longer qualify as a full-time student, then your parents can't claim you if your gross income is over around $3400, even if they provided ALL of your support and you lived with them all year. So for 2007, sounds like the answer changes to NO, unless you're back in school.

Answer 3

I am a taxprparer for HR block.
here are the rules for dependency

a dependent is a qualifying child or qualifying relative
which the following are all true
* the taxpayer cannot be a dependent
* must be a us citizen or a resident of mexico, canada or us
* must not file a join return with spouse

a qualifying child must satify following rules:

age (must be under 19 or 24 if full time student

relationship : son, daughter, grandchildren, siblings

residency: must live with the taxpayer for half of year

support: the child cannot provide more than half of own support

qualifying relative:

relationship: father, mother, brother etc..

suport: (different than qulifying child) the taxpayer cannot
provide more than of the person's support

gross income: less than the exemption amount

not a qualifying child

Answer 4

If you come & go - sometimes away & sometimes home - at your own whim, you are dependent. If you are often away but likely to descend on your parents & claim squatter's right again, they have an unreliable dependent they have a right to claim for.

I presume your parent's house is your base when you have nowhere else? They could expect you to turn up at any time if conditions outside are not favourable & stay indefinitely with free lodging? If you can't provide yourself with a reliable alternative, you are dependent.

If you have your own independent base & pay all your own bills, then you are independent & they have no business claiming for your dependency.

Answer 5

for the most complete information, consult IRS Pub. 17. This is the closest thing to a taxpayer's bible that exists, currently.

DO NOT...REPEAT...DO NOT rely on information from the taxpayer dis-service representatives at the other end of the line when you call the IRS No-help-whatsoever line (phone number given elsewhere on this page). They are NOT held responsible for incorrect or inaccurate information given to taxpayers who may rely upon their responses to complete and file their taxes.

Answer 6

At the age of 24, full-time student or not, you are no longer eligible to be claimed on your Parents taxes as a dependent.