My mom won't take me off her taxes for the FAFSA, what can I do?

Question

My mother recently got married, and she also claimed me as a dependent on her taxes, which made me lose most of my financial aid. However, she is not helping me pay for my tuition, housing, and miscellaneous expenses. Can the IRS do anything about this? Or do I need to wait until tax time next year and have her take me off?

Answer 1

If you didn't live with your mother then she can't legally claim you, you could report it, then she has to suffer the consequences.  Personally, I think since she didn't care about your situation, then you shouldn't care what trouble she gets in.  She can claim you however if she financially supported you.

I'd call the IRS for answers to this one.

Answer 2

Call the d**n IRS yourself and turn her in IF you've asked her already to remove your name and she hasn't ..

Moms should NEVER take advantage of their kids!

Answer 3

This could get tricky.  It's true she would have to provide half of your support, but I believe co-signing your student loans counts for her.  The only way to force her to stop (at any age) is to get a job yourself.

Answer 4

I think if she already filed then there is nothing you can do until next year. You might be able to get a lawyer and go that route but I don't know if you want to invest that much money or time.  You're probably going to have to make sure she takes you off next year.

You know, if you've been living at home for x months or something rent free you considered a dependent and therefor she can claim you as much as she wants and you can't do anything about it.

Answer 5

Well, yes and no. Depending on how old you are, you might still be a dependent no matter what. If you are younger than 24, unmarried, with no children then you are a dependent, and being on her taxes or not will not make a difference. Her taxes will have to go on your report along with your taxes anyway. You probably lost your financial aid because your mom's new husband made enough money to disqualify you. If you really want to be a dependent, then you could try to be emancipated (but I don't know that process).

If you answer yes to any of those questions, then you really do need to be on your own tax form because you are a legal independent and you would need to tell you mom this. You could call the IRS and get it changed.

Hope this helped.

Answer 6

Until you are 24 your parents income will count on your FAFSA no matter what. The best thing you can do is make the best of it. Fill out your FAFSA anyway, who knows, you may get some money. You can also look up scholarships online. There are SO many out there. Good luck!

Answer 7

For FAFSA puposes you are kinda hosed - not much you can do.  And to be honest, not much you may want to do about the tax situation.

Your mother has the right to claim you on her tax return if she provides more than 50% of your support.  From the sounds of things, she does not.  Now you can take this and run to the IRS office and make sure you get to claim yourself on your taxes instead and get your mom into heaps of issues with the IRS.  

You might think - that will fix her.  But in the end - it might just further s***w yourself.  Because you will still need your mother to complete the FAFSA parent section regardless of who claims you on their tax return because you still meet the FAFSA definition of a dependent student.  

It is a catch 22 for the most part.  This is one of those unfair things in life that you end up having to live with, or you can stir the pot and make things potentially worse between you and your mother.

Answer 8

OK well until you are 24 and out of school one or both your parents can claim you as a dependent. And even if they don't you still have to report their income when applying for financial aid; Whether they help you financially or not.

In order to make her unable to claim you and thus not having to report her income, you have to become emancipated.

The link below has information on how to go about doing that.

Way you can become emancipated:

You must be married, or

You must be in the U.S. armed forces, or

You must be living apart from your parents or guardian and be managing your own money, or

The court must decide that emancipation is in the best interests of you, or your parents, or your minor child (if you have one).

But remember this too. If you are covered under any insurance provided by your mom, like health insurance, you won't be if you do this. If your no longer a dependent, then you won't receive those benefits.

Answer 9

Do you work, are you over 24.  Cause your mom has all legal right to claim you as her dependent as long as she provides more then half your care for the year meaning you live in the same household as she does, and she pay's for your shelter, your food, and other necceties.  Your are under the age of 18 or 24 if still in school.  You can file your own taxes if you work and make over i believe 3000 it might have changed in the past few years.  But either way you might want to wait till next year and make sure she doesnt claim you again because you will get her in some serious trouble if you did.  And yes the irs can do something about it, but that would probably mean jail time for your mother, and fines and penalty's if she is found to have no legal right to claim you as a dependent.