Wrongfully claimed as dependent, stimulus check.?

Question

My mother claimed me as a dependent although I am 20 years old and she has never provided me with any financial support in my entire life. This means that I won't be getting a stimulus check.

Is there a way for me to dispute that I am not a dependent and get my check? I don't want to do this because she initially owed money and then after claiming me actually got a refund of $2,000, I don't want them to take all that away from her, but I should get a $600 check and she won't even give me the half I asked for!

Answer 1

You need to do your taxes and mail in the forms. Only one person can take each exemption. When the irs sees both of you claiming yourself they will investigate it. They will take the exemption away from her and she will have to repay the taxes. You cannot get a stimulus check unless you do this. No stimulus checks will be mailed out after 12/31. If she doesnt qualify for the exemption she will lose. If she knows you plan to do this maybe she will pay up. Better to give you something than to lose the taxes, interest, penalties, maybe even fraud charges.

Answer 2

There is no way to dispute that you are not a dependent (even if true) and receive a stimulus payment in 2008.  Even if you amended your return, you would not get a stimulus payment in 2008, as it is based on the original return.   If your dispute is settled in your favor, (your amended return is accepted and processed), your refund would possibly increase slightly, but your mother would have to pay back her tax benefits.  

However, you can get up to $600 paid to you next year .  The 2008 tax return will have a worksheet to figure the stimulus payment for those that did not receive the maximum stimulus payment this year.  So you will not lose your stimulus payment, it will just be delayed.

From your information, your mother was not qualified to claim you as her dependent child, and to receive the refund she now refuses to share with you.

Answer 3

I am uncertain how parents claiming you effects the program but it sounds to me like you didn't file taxes yourself and if that's the case than you are NOT ENTITLED to a stimulus check...If you worked, earned, and filed taxes than you may/might be able to appeal your mother's taking you as a dependant (particularly if you earned over a certain amount...I d/k how much because the IRS doesn't allow parents to take their kids if they make over some limit...again I d/k what that is).  So assuming you filed you may/might be able to appeal to the IRS and get a small check...If you didn't than you're SOL!...PEACE!

Answer 4

Did you claim yourself also?  If you did, the IRS will sort it out, and if she wasn't allowed to claim you, you'll end up getting both whatever refund you should have gotten AND your stimulus check, and she'll have to pay back the extra.

She didn't get anything extra for you from the stimulus program, you are too old - that's only for kids under 17.

If you did NOT claim yourself on your return, you are out of luck for the stimulus payment,  Filing an amendement would, though, get you whatever refund you have coming.

If you did NOT claim yourself on your return, then you caused your own problem, sorry.  Next year claim yourself if you are not a dependent.  At age 20, you are not a dependent unless you live at home, are a full time student during at least 5 months of the year, and do NOT provide over half of your own support - note that the value of living quarters and food are part of support, not just money.

Answer 5

"she has never provided me with any financial support in my entire life."

Well I know *that's* not true.

In order to be eligible to claim you as a dependent and get a huge refund, she must have claimed you as a qualifyng child.  That means you were a full-time student for at least 5 months in 2007, lived at home (living in the dorms counts) AND did not provide mor than half of your own support.

If you did provide more than half of your own support (or weren't a student), then you should have claimed your own exemption on your tax return.  The fact that she filed before you and claimed you didn't prevent you from filing a paper return.

PS, in order to get $600 of rebate, you would have to have made $14750 or more of income.  Did you?

Even if you amend and claim yourself (and only if you are eligible to), the 1040X won't result in a rebate.

There will be a second chance worksheet on the 2008 return.

Answer 6

that exact same thing is happening to me! i'm 21 and both my parents showed me their returns ---not claimed. i havent been claimed in years. i tried going to the irs office but they said i couldnt be helped there, that i should get a mailing later on in the year telling me if i will get it or whether i was denied. when i call the irs line (75 d**n mins wait or more) they tell me basically the same thing. i dont even know what to do but i feel jipped and i really need that money.

really, good luck to u.

Answer 7

Did you file a tax return and file as single, did you file as a dependent or did you not file at all?  If you had filed as single, and your mother tried to claim you as a dependent, then both of you would have been flagged by the IRS and been audited.  She would have then had to provide proof that she supported you for the year of 2007.  If you did not file a tax return or if you filed as a dependent, then you would need to file an admendment.  Because of the way the IRS works, it probably would take a long time for you to get the money.  They would take her $2000 away,  plus probably tell her that she would need to pay more.  By claiming you as a dependent, she probably got to write off about $3000 worth of her income.  Plus she probably qualified for a $2500 head of household bonus.  So when it comes down to it, if you do not want to ruin your relationship with your mother, you should probably just let it go, but make sure to tell her that you will be filing your own taxes next year and claiming yourself as single, so she should NOT claim you as a dependent.

Answer 8

First of all - if she claimed you as a dependent and you are 20 years old, then she did not get a stimulus rebate for you.  Dependents 17 and older do not qualify for the rebate.

Second - If you make $10,000 subtract the standard deduction ($5,350) and the exemption ($3,400) then you get $1,250 in taxable income.  At 10% tax rate this is $125 of taxes due.  So you need to file a tax return.  If you file a tax return, you claim yourself - make sure that you do not mark the box that someone else is claiming you.  Yes she did claim you but she is not entitled, so don't mark the box!  Since your mom has already claimed you, you will not be able to e-file your return, so you file a paper return.  When the IRS processes your return, it will flag that you have been claimed by your mom.  The IRS will then contact both you and your mom to determine who gets to claim you.  Assuming they are satisfied with your documentation, then they will take you off your mothers return and charge her for the difference.

As to the rebate, since you only owe $125 in taxes, you will only get a $300 rebate.  You will get a second chance at claiming the rebate in 2008, and IF you qualify you may be able to get the other $300 of the rebate.

If you have already filed, and you marked the box that someone else will claim you, you can file an amended return.  But this will just change the tax return and won't affect the rebate.  You will have the opportunity to claim the full $600 on the 2008 tax return.

Answer 9

I would leave it after all she your mother and probably has spent a lot more than 600 while you were growing up if you were a good daughter I would just leave it specially if she owes the money. 600 is not the much and you are still very young to make it up. I am 21 and if My mom ever do that I wont argue with her she has make me the person I am. Unless she was very bad with you and never gave you anything then I would say ssomething.