If I am tax exempt, will my parents be able to file for me on their tax return?

Question

I'm 17 years old and want to be tax exempt but, my parents still want to be able to claim me as their dependent. Is that possible?

Answer 1

You kind of have it backwards. There are rules that, if your parents meet them, then they can claim you. If you live with them for over half of the year, and do not provide more than half of your own support for the year, then they can claim you.

Now - for your income. If they meet the rules to claim you, whether they actually claim you of not, then you can't claim yourself and take an exemption for yourself on your own tax return. If you make less than $5350 for the year, though, you still won't owe any tax. And if you do not expect to have any tax liability for the year, and didn't have any last year, then and only then can you claim "exempt", which means that no income tax will be withheld from your paycheck. If you claim exempt on your W-4 when you aren't, then you'll have to pay taxes and possible penalties when you file a return at the end of the year, plus a possible $500 fine for claiming exempt when you aren't.

Whether or not you claim exempt does not have any effect on whether your parents can claim you.

Answer 2

You can only tax exempt if you had no tax liability in the previous year and expext no tax liability this year.

Your parents will be able to claim you if you did not provid more than half your own support.