If you're a dependent on someone else's return
You can be claimed as a dependent and still need to file your own tax return. Your filing requirement depends on your income, marital status and other criteria. Find details on filing requirements for dependents.
Standard deduction dependent Dependents -- If you can be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer, your standard deduction for 2020 is limited to the greater of: (1) $1100, or (2) your earned income plus $350 (but the total can't be more than the basic standard deduction for your filing status).
Earned income includes salaries, wages, tips, professional fees, and taxable scholarship and fellowship grants. Gross income is the total of your unearned and earned income. If your gross income was $5,050 or more, you usually can't be claimed as a dependent unless you are a qualifying child.
Yes, if the child is a dependent the child may be claimed on your tax return. This may allow you to claim child & dependent care tax credits, as well as increase your earned income tax credit.
If a person meets the requirements for a qualifying child or relative, you can claim them as a dependent. You can do this regardless of your filing status.
The child must have lived with you for more than half of the year.2 3. The person's gross income for the year must be less than $4,300.3 Gross income means all income the person received in the form of money, goods, property and services, that isn't exempt from tax.
The most you can claim is $592.
To meet the qualifying child test, your child must be younger than you or your spouse if filing jointly and either younger than 19 years old or be a "student" younger than 24 years old as of the end of the calendar year.
If the person who claimed you did so in error, they will need to file an amended return to remove you as a dependent. If the person who claimed you did so fraudulently, you may also need to contact the IRS to report identity theft.
If it's more than $11,000, your student will need to file their own tax return. If your student is employed, you should not claim their earned income on your return. If your student files their own tax return, you can still claim them as a dependent, but you shouldn't claim their income on your return.
There is no age limit for how long you can claim adult children or other relatives as dependents, but they must meet other IRS requirements to continue to qualify. Additionally, once they are over 18 and no longer a student, they can only qualify as an "other dependent," not a qualifying child.
Good Reasons
If your income disqualifies you from claiming these credits, your child's income probably doesn't disqualify him or her. Therefore, your child may be able to report payment of education expenses for tax purposes and then claim one of the credits – but only if you don't claim him or her as a dependent.
Here's the short answer: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will usually let you claim your child if they work or earn an income, no matter the dependent's income source, if certain requirements are met.
The IRS requires dependents to file tax returns if they make more than $14,600 in earned income, or more than $1,300 in unearned income in 2024. If a dependent has combined earned and unearned income, the dependent will be required to file if they make more than $450 in unearned income.
The maximum credit amount is $500 for each dependent who meets certain conditions. This credit can be claimed for: Dependents of any age, including those who are age 18 or older. Dependents who have Social Security numbers or Individual Taxpayer Identification numbers.
Because the IRS processes the first return it receives, if another person claims your dependent first, the IRS will reject your return.
If your parents meet eligibility criteria to claim you as financially dependent for tax purposes, it is usually more beneficial for them to do so rather than you claiming a deduction for yourself. Parents typically have a higher income since they are older and more established in their careers.
College students who are funding more than half of their living expenses could see a financial benefit from filing independently. To file as an independent, however, a college student must provide for more than half of their financial needs. This includes housing, tuition, food, clothing, transportation, and more.
Can I claim my child as a dependent if they are over 18? Yes, if they meet certain criteria, you can claim your child as a dependent even if they are over 18. For instance, if your dependent is a college student full-time, they can qualify as a dependent up to 24 years old.
As a rule of thumb, you must provide more than half of your qualifying relative's total support. To claim a dependent, you cannot qualify as a dependent of another taxpayer. Your potential dependent(s) must also meet the rules for qualifying child or qualifying relative.
Whether a dependent has to file a return generally depends on the amount of the dependent's earned and unearned income and whether the dependent is married, is age 65 or older, or is blind. A dependent may have to file a return even if his or her income is less than the amount that would normally require a return.
A qualifying child can earn an unlimited amount of money and still be claimed as a dependent, so long as the child doesn't also provide more than half of their own support.
It's possible, but once you're over age 24, you can no longer be claimed as a qualifying child. The only exception to this is if you're permanently and totally disabled.