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Did you know you may be able to claim your burrow potato friend equally a dependent? Did y'all realize that the support of your struggling aunt who didn't alive with you lot may qualify your aunt equally your dependent? Don't experience bad, you would be surprised how many people scratch their heads near dependency tax laws. The question "Who can I claim every bit my dependent?" has remained a top question for many taxpayers and an area where taxation deductions and credits are often missed or misstated on revenue enhancement returns.

Under tax reform, you can no longer claim the dependent exemption — which was $iv,050 for tax year 2017 — but you still need to know who qualifies as your dependent for other tax benefits like the Child Tax Credit (up to $3,000 per qualifying child over the age of 6 and upward to $3,600 for each qualifying child under 6 ) or the $500 tax credit for dependents who aren't your children.

While we'll assist you to understand who may exist eligible to claim as a dependent beneath, don't worry nigh remembering these rules come tax fourth dimension. For answers to this question and anything else related to your tax situation, TurboTax volition ask you simple questions and give yous the revenue enhancement deductions and credits yous're eligible for based on your answers.

Who Can I Claim Equally a Tax Dependent?

Additionally, if y'all even so accept questions, you tin connect live via one-mode video to a TurboTax Live tax expert available in English and Spanish who can either help you along the way or fully do your taxes from start to terminate, in some cases for gratis.

The bottom line is a dependent must be your "qualifying child" or "qualifying relative" and meet specific tests in order for you to merits them.

The 5 tests that qualify a child as a dependent

Relationship: Must be your child, adopted kid, foster kid, brother or sister, or a descendant of 1 of these (grandchild or niece/nephew).
Residence: Must have the aforementioned residence for more than half the year.
Historic period: Must be under historic period 19 or nether 24 and a total-time pupil for at least 5 months. They can be any age if they are totally and permanently disabled.
Support: Must non have provided more than one-half of their own support during the year.
Joint Support: The child cannot file a joint return for the year.

The 4 tests that will qualify a relative as a dependent

Not a Qualifying Child: They are not the "qualifying child" of some other taxpayer or your "qualifying kid."
Gross Income: The dependent existence claimed earns less than $4,300 in 20 21 .
Total Support: You lot provide more than than half of the total support for the year.
Member of Household or Human relationship: The person (a friend, girlfriend, not-claret relative) must alive with you all year as a member of your household or be related to y'all.

Many taxpayers are surprised to find they may be able to claim a boyfriend, girlfriend, domestic partner, or friend as a qualifying relative if:

They are a member of your household the entire year.
The human relationship between y'all and the dependent does not violate the law, for instance, you lot tin can not still be married to someone else. (Likewise, check your private state law, as some states do not let you to claim a boyfriend or girlfriend as a dependent even if your relationship doesn't violate the law).
You meet all the other criteria for "qualifying relatives" (gross income and support).

Dependent FAQ

Question: My 26-yr-old is living with me. He works and made more than $four,300 in 20 21 . Tin I claim him as a dependent?

Respond: No, because your child would not meet the historic period test, which says your "qualifying child" must exist under historic period 19 or 24 if a total-time student for at least 5 months out of the year. To exist considered a "qualifying relative", his income must be less than $four,300 in twenty 21 ($4, three 00 in 20 20 also ).

Question: I started work in September of this year and had my baby in March. Can I claim my baby as a dependent on my taxes?

Answer: Yes, even if y'all have a baby on Dec 31, you can merits them as a dependent on your taxes.

Question: My beau fully supports me. We live with his mother, but my boyfriend pays our total support including rent. His female parent wants to claim us every bit dependents. Who can claim the deduction?

Answer: As long as your boyfriend is not married (be sure to check your individual state police regarding challenge a swain or girlfriend every bit some states don't comply with the federal constabulary), supplies over half of your support, and you lived with him the unabridged twelvemonth and did non earn more than $4,300, you would qualify as his dependent. His mother could not claim you lot since she did not provide more than half of the support.

Question: My spouse has non worked all year except for one month, can I claim him equally a dependent?

Answer: Y'all cannot merits a spouse every bit a dependent. However, if yous file married filing jointly, you may have more tax benefits.

Now that you are armed with more knowledge about dependent tax laws, y'all may find that your friend crashing on your burrow may help you go a larger tax refund.

Lisa has over 20 years of experience in taxation preparation. Her success is attributed to beingness able to interpret tax laws and help clients better empathize them. She has held positions every bit a public auditor, controller, and operations director. Lisa has appeared on the Steve Harvey Show, the Ellen Prove, and major news broadcast to suspension downwards tax laws and help taxpayers understand what tax laws hateful to them. For Lisa, getting timely and accurate data out to taxpayers to help them keep more of their coin is paramount. More than from Lisa Greene-Lewis