Who You Can and Can't Claim as a Dependent

When it comes to filing your taxes, one of the most effective ways to get the most back on your returns is by having exemption and deductions — and a major claim people make are their dependents. Thing is, not everyone qualifies as a dependent, leaving you wondering who exactly does. In order to get the file correctly, make sure you know who you can and who you can’t claim as a dependent.

When it comes to what qualifies a person as a dependent, everything comes down to the details of the person and how they’re connected to you. That being said, people fall into different categories with different qualifications.

Claiming a Qualified Child Involves His or Her:

• Residence: He or she must have lived with you for over six months during the year you’re filing for.
• Relationship: The child must be your biological child, adopted child, foster-child, sibling, or a descendant of one of those.
• Age: The child must be younger than 19 or under 24 (as long as they are a student for minimally five months). If they are totally or permanently disabled, the child can be any age.
• Support: The child cannot be a dependent if he or she provided more than half of their own support during the filing year.
• Joint Support: The child cannot file a joint return for the filing year.

Claiming a Qualifying Relative Involves:

• Qualifying Child Status: They cannot be your or another taxpayer’s qualified child.
• Gross Income: The relative must have made less than $4,050 of income during the year.
• Total Support: You must have provided more than half of the the total support during the filing year.
• Relationship: If they are not a blood-relative (boyfriend, friend, etc.) they must have lived with you for the entirety of the filing year to be able to be claimed as a dependent.

You Can Also Claim a Non-Blood Relative as a Dependent If:

• They have lived in your household for the entire year.
• Your relationship with them is not illegal. For example, you can’t be legally married to someone else, and claim a significant other as a dependent.
• However, each state has different laws when it comes to claiming a significant other, so check your state’s rules to ensure they allow this.
• The person meets the other criteria for “qualifying relatives.”

Let the team at American Investment Planners LLC been your resource this tax season. We have experienced many of the same situations our clients have, so we know exactly what solutions to offer. For more information about our tax planning services, please visit us on our website or give us a call at (516) 932-5130.

*Cadaret, Grant and its representatives do not provide tax or legal advice. Tax advice provided solely by American Investment Planners LLC.