how do i know if i'm still a dependent?

Question

i got a letter from the IRS b/c they need to verify weather i'm a dependent or not. Iast years tax returns i put that i'm not a dependent b/c i was 18 but i still lived wiht my parents and was in highschool . now i'm 19 still live with my parents and i'm in college so waht am i

Answer 1

Talk with your parents. If they claim you as a dependent on their return to give them your deduction, then you have your answer. Just because you turned 18 does not mean you are no longer a dependent. My father claimed me until I was 20 (the year I got married). If you are in school, you can still be a dependent.

Answer 2

Here are the rules
1. You can take one exemption for yourself unless you can be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer. If another taxpayer is entitled to claim you as a dependent, you cannot take an exemption for yourself even if the other taxpayer does not actually claim you as a dependent.

2.You (your parents) can claim a child as dependent if
*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.
*The child must not have provided more than half of his or her own support for the year.

So it appears that your parents can claim you as dependent and must be claiming you on their return. You should talk to them and find out.
Also if your are dependent then tell IRS that your parents claim you as dependent, and your are dependent. You may have some tax liability, which you will have to pay.

Answer 3

If you were 18 at the end of the year, and still living with your parents, chances are that you were a dependent of theirs - you would be unless you provided over half of your own support, and that would include the value of lodging, utilities and food that your parents provided for you. The age limit for a non-student is 19, not 18. If you turned 19 in 2007, and are not in school, then they won't be able to claim you unless they provide over half of your support and your total income is under $3400, so this year unless you are a student (age limit for a student is being under 24), you will probably be able to claim yourself. But for last year, you'll almost surely have to pay back the tax you saved by claiming yourself, because you probably were not eligible to.

Answer 4

You are your parents dependent because you are in school (I am assuming full time) and live at home. You cannot talk to your parents and "decide" who should take you. You are their dependent (unless you are paying a fair market amount for rent, food, utilities, your own tuition, clothes, books, etc.).

The only time you would be able to claim yourself is if the educational credits/deduction worked out better on your return than your parents. You would have to see what your parents would get from the credit/deduction versus what you would get if you took the credit/deduction. If it works out there is more advantage from the credit/deduction on your return than theirs, you can claim yourself even if you would otherwise be their dependent.

Answer 5

Unless you earned enough to provide over 50% of your own support, you are a dependent.

What happened is that your parents and you both claimed you as a dependent. You should amend your return and take your personal exemption off...unless you paid over 50% of your own support, which is hard to prove if you lived at home with your parents.

Answer 6

Sounds to me like you are a dependent, becuase your parents can claim you on their taxes since you still live at home. You can still file your taxes as a dependent, but your parents have to claim you.

Answer 7

More than likely your parents have been claiming you on their taxes. Talk to them and examine last year's returns.

Answer 8

do you pay any rent/buy your own food/pay your own bills?
then you are not a dependent
if you do not pay any thing then you are dependent on your parents

Answer 9

You can still be dependent.