Claiming Adult Dependent

kaygee6334
kaygee6334 Member Posts: 3 Newcomer
in Live Q/A Event

My 25 year old son has severe Crohn's disease and did not work all year. He also lived with me. He collected food stamps but no other assistance and no cash at all. Can I claim him as a dependent? Will it save me on taxes or just complicate and delay the processing of my refund?

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Answers

  • SamanthaY
    SamanthaY FreeTaxUSA Agent Posts: 4
    edited December 10

    To qualify as a dependent, a child must pass these tests:

    • Relationship: Be your son, daughter, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, half-sister or -brother, stepbrother, stepsister, adopted child or the child of one of these
    • Age: Be under age 19 or under 24 if a full-time student, or any age if permanently and totally disabled
    • Residency: Live with you for more than half the year, with some exceptions
    • Support: Get more than half their financial support from you

    Joint return: Not file as married filing jointly unless only to claim a refund of taxes paid or withheld



    Permanently and Totally Disabled:

    A person is permanently and totally disabled if both of the following apply:

    1. He or she cannot engage in any substantial gainful activity because of a physical or mental condition, and
    2. A doctor determines that the condition has lasted or can be expected to last continuously for at least a year or can lead to death.

    This information is found in Publication 501, Dependents, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information.

    You can also use the IRS Interactive tool to help you determine whom you may claim as a dependent: https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/whom-may-i-claim-as-a-dependent

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  • kaygee6334
    kaygee6334 Member Posts: 3 Newcomer
    https://community.freetaxusa.com/discussion/comment/3185#Comment_3185

    Based on this explanation, it seems I cannot claim my son due to his age. In past years, the dependent did not have to be totally disabled as labeled by a doctor. They just needed to not have exceeded approximately $4000 in income for the year, lived with you and got more than half their support from you. Has that changed? Hmmm, I might not use this software this year because my son is not a full-time student and I've claimed him in the past. The only difference this year is that he received food stamps.

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  • jnewell7
    jnewell7 FreeTaxUSA Agent Posts: 5

    For a dependent to be claimed as a qualifying child, they must fulfil the age requirement mentioned previously (Be under age 19 or under 24 if a full-time student, or any age if permanently and totally disabled)

    However, you may still be able to claim your son as a qualifying relative instead of a qualifying child. To claim a qualifying relative, a dependent must meet the following requirements:

    A qualifying relative must meet general rules for dependents and pass these tests:

    See the full rules for a qualifying relative

    If you are still unsure about whether or not you can claim your son, I recommend using this interactive IRS tool:

    Whom may I claim as a dependent? | Internal Revenue Service

    Once you've clicked on the link, scroll to the bottom of the page and click 'Begin'

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