As people prepare their 2021 tax returns for the IRS, they have a lot of questions. One is who they’re allowed to claim as a dependent.
Claiming a dependent can give you a larger reduction on your taxes.
Many people feel that only children are dependents, but there are actually more people that may qualify as a dependent.
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Who is a tax dependent and how does the IRS let me claim one?
The IRS defines a dependent as a child or relative that depends on a taxpayer.
Credits and deductions claimed are determined by the relationship between the taxpayer and dependent.
This means child tax credits, earned income credits, and child dependent care credits to name a few.
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What qualifies a child as a dependent?
- They’re a part of your family, meaning your biological child, stepchild, foster child, sibling, half sibling, step sibling, or a relation to any of these people.
- The child is under a certain age
- They live with you
- The child cannot financially support themselves
- They cannot file a joint tax return
- They have residency or citizenship status
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What qualifies a relative as a dependent?
- They aren’t someone else’s qualifying child
- They’re related to and live with you
- Their gross income is under the limit
- You provide over half of their support financially throughout the year
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