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.
You cannot prevent your parents from claiming you. Anything on your parents' return is between them and the IRS.
Income: If your child earned income, she can still be claimed as a dependent as long as her gross income is below the IRS threshold for qualifying children, which is $4400 for 2023. If her income exceeds this amount, she may need to file her own tax return.
Up until age 19, if your kid lives with you (for more than half the year) and is not financially supporting themselves, it is most likely that you, as the parent, qualify to claim your kid as a dependent. If your child continues as a student, the same rules apply up to age 24.
For qualifying dependents who are not a qualifying child (called “qualifying relatives” in tax law), the person's gross income for the 2023 tax year must be below $4,700 (for 2023). For qualifying relatives, they must get more than half of their financial support from you.
Cons of Claiming a College Student as a Dependent
If your child has earned income and you claim them as a dependent, they lose the opportunity to claim their own personal exemption (when applicable in future years) and certain tax credits that could be more advantageous for them.
You can claim a child who works as a dependent if they still meet the requirements to be a qualifying child – including the age, relationship, residency, and support tests.
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.
To claim a child's income on a parent's tax return, the child needs to be considered a qualifying child dependent of the parent. Parents can use IRS Form 8814 to elect to report their child's income on their tax return instead of the child filing their own return.
It's important to note that if two or more taxpayers claim the same child, the IRS will use the “tiebreaker rule” to figure out who is eligible. You can always speak about your specific situation with your Jackson Hewitt Tax Pro when questions arise.
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.
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 a child lived with each parent the same amount of time during the year, the IRS allows the parent with the higher adjusted gross income (AGI) to claim the child.
Changes to Certain Benefits
The five dependency tests – relationship, gross income, support, joint return and citizenship/residency – continue to apply to a qualifying relative. A child who is not a qualifying child might still be a dependent as a qualifying relative.
When your child is financially independent. If your child is earning an income and is self-sufficient, it may be time to stop claiming them as a dependent. This typically occurs when they move out of the house and are no longer relying on you for financial support.
After the IRS decides the issue, the IRS will charge (or, “assess”) any additional taxes, penalties, and interest on the person who incorrectly claimed the dependent. You can appeal the decision if you don't agree with the outcome, or you can take your case to U.S. Tax Court.
What you'll get. The most you can claim is $592.
The Child Tax Credit's age restrictions often surprise individuals, extending even to the Additional Child Tax Credit. Upon your child reaching the age of 17, eligibility for these credits ends, regardless of continued financial dependency.
If you earned income, but your parents still qualify to claim you as a dependent, all you have to do is select the option for “I can be claimed on someone else's return”. Parents will qualify for educational credits that students potentially cannot get on their own.
You can claim the Child Tax Credit for each qualifying child who has a Social Security number that is valid for employment in the United States. To be a qualifying child for the 2024 tax year, your dependent generally must: Be under 17 at the end of the tax year.
You can choose not to claim a qualifying child or relative as a dependent on your return by leaving them off your tax return.
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.
3. 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.