Can grown people claim other unrelated grown people as dependents?

Answer 1

No, you cannot claim a person as a dependent unless that person is your qualifying child or qualifying relative.

Tests To Be a Qualifying Child

The child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a descendant of any of them.


The child must be (a) under age 19 at the end of the year, (b) under age 24 at the end of the year and a full-time student, or (c) any age if permanently and totally disabled.


The child must have lived with you for more than half of the year. 2


The child must not have provided more than half of his or her own support for the year.


If the child meets the rules to be a qualifying child of more than one person, you must be the person entitled to claim the child as a qualifying child.

Tests To Be a Qualifying Relative

The person cannot be your qualifying child or the qualifying child of anyone else.


The person either (a) must be related to you in one of the ways listed under Relatives who do not have to live with you, or (b) must live with you all year as a member of your household (and your relationship must not violate local law). 2


The person's gross income for the year must be less than $3,300. 3


You must provide more than half of the person's total support for the year.

I've attached a link to dependents.

Answer 2

Yes. If they meet the five tests.

There are 5 tests that you must pass to claim someone as your dependent

1) The dependent must be a member of your household
2) The dependent must be a US Citizen or resident
3) The dependent can not be married and fileing a joint return
4) The dependent must have income less than $3,050 and
5) You must provide more than half of their support.

For the Member of the household test: At least one of the following must be true:
1) The dependent lived with the taxpayer for the entire year as a member of the taxpayer's household, except for temporary absences. Temporary absences include attending school, taking vacations, business trips, military service, and hospital stays. (If the person is placed in a nursing home for an indefinite period of time to receive constant medical care, the absence is considered temporary.) The relationship between the taxpayer and the dependent must not violate local laws (e.g., zoning restrictions on the number of unrelated persons living together).
2) The dependent is related to the taxpayer in one of the following ways: child, parent, brother/sister, stepparent, stepchild, stepbrother/stepsister, half brother/half sister, grandparent, grandchild, son-in-law/daughter-in-law, mother-in-law/father-in-law, brother-in-law/sister-in-law. Also, if related by blood, relatives can include uncle/aunt and niece/nephew. Cousins do NOT meet the relationship test. Relationships established by marriage are not ended by death or divorce. Relatives do not have to be members of the taxpayer's household for the entire year. (There are special rules for children born during the year, adopted children, and foster children.)



I hope that helps.

Answer 3

Michael K is real close, but his number for the person's income limit is for an earlier year. For 2007 it's $3400.

Answer 4

No.

Answer 5

no, they can't