Can I NOT claim an exemption for my dependent 19yo student & have him file single with a standard deduction?

Question

Can I NOT claim an exemption for my dependent 19yo student & have him file single with a standard deduction?

Answer 1

OK, good question.  Now, bear with me.  The IRS says that in order to claim someone as a dependent (Qualifying Child), they need to be your child, they need to be under 24 and attending school (or under 19 regardless of school), they need to live with you for at least 1/2 year, they need to pay for less than 1/2 of their own expenses.  If your child meets these tests, they can be claimed by you.

Here's the catch, if they CAN be claimed by you, regardless if you actually claim them or not, they can NOT claim themselves.  He would have to file Single with Standard Deduction, but no personal exemption.  It is the personal exemption that you are probably really asking about.  Everyone, regardless if they claim themself or not, gets the standard deduction, but only the person claiming them gets the personal exemption.

So, if you claim him, he still files and the first $5,450 (in 2008) of income is federal income tax free.  If he claims himself, then the first $8,950 (in 2008) of income is federal income tax free.

But, if he lives with you for less than 1/2 year (being temporarily away at school, according to the IRS, is like living at home unfortunately), or pays for over 1/2 of his own expenses (education is an expense...if he pays for college or takes a loan to pay for college (a loan which he is personally responsible to pay back), then that is considered money he uses to pay for his own expenses), then you're in the clear...he claims himself, he gets the personal exemption, and you don't claim him.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

You don't HAVE to claim anyone on your taxes.

If your son has enough income to file a tax return, he needs to do that, file his own tax return and his own personal deduction.

Answer 3

If you claim your son as a dependent on your income tax return, he cannot claim himself on his income tax return.

If an individual is filing his or her own tax return, and the individual can be claimed as a dependent on someone else's return, the individual cannot claim his or her own personal exemption. In this case, your son should check the box on his return indicating that someone else can claim him as a dependent.

Answer 4

Yes you can, he just can't take an exemption for himself.

Answer 5

yep but he looses the personal expemtion credit.

Answer 6

Whether you claim your child's exemption or not, he will file single with a standard deduction of $5,400 for 2008.  He will indicate on his tax return that he is a student and he is claimable as a dependent.

You will not take the exemption, and your child cannot take his own exemption.  This may reduce your refund, but your child could receive the Hope Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit on his tax return.

If your child provides over half of his own support (including educational loans and Pell grants), he can take his own exemption, since he is no longer your dependent.