Sometimes we’re so busy growing up that we forget they’re growing old.
Everyone knows that claiming a dependent on your income tax return can get you a significantly larger refund. For every dependent you claim on your taxes you can claim an extra personal exemption. That’s a large chunk of change you can deduct from your income, thus reducing your tax burden.
But who exactly can you claim? Are you eligible to claim your parents as dependents?
When it comes to taxes there are actually two different types of dependents: qualifying children and qualifying relatives.
Obviously, you can’t claim your parents as qualifying children. So the question becomes, do they meet the requirements for qualifying relatives?
Is your parent a qualifying relative for tax purposes?
In order to claim someone as a qualifying relative they must:
- Have lived with you all year as a member of your household, or be one of the following family members: child, parent, sibling, stepparent, stepchild, step-sibling, half sibling, grandparent, grandchild, child-in-law, parent-in-law, sibling-in-law, uncle, aunt, niece, or nephew
- Be a U.S. citizen or resident, or a resident of Canada or Mexico
- Be unmarried, or married but not filing a joint return
- Not be a qualifying child of you or someone else
- Have a gross income of less than $4,000
- Have more than half of their total support for the year provided by you
In plain English, this means that yes you can claim a parent as a dependent but they have to meet the above requirements.
Are Social Security Benefits included?
As a general rule, Social Security benefits are not included in gross income. For more information about Social Security and Disability benefits, check out our other article, “Claiming Parents as Dependents If They Receive Social Security Benefits“. Be sure to make sure they are tax-exempt, because this could determine your eligibility to claim them as a dependent.
When determining if you provided over 50% of a parent’s total support, be sure to consider
- lodging
- food expenses
- utilities
- repairs
- household expenses
- clothing
- education
- medical and dental expenses
- travel
- recreation expenses
If you support a parent who meets all of the requirements listed above be sure to claim them when you file online this season!
I want to ask u . If I can claim my mom she lives in Mexico but I send her money every week and I have proof. thanks
Hi Manuel,
In order for you to claim your mother as a dependent on your taxes, the following requirements must be met:
1. Not a Qualifying Child: The individual cannot be your Qualifying Child Dependent and cannot be someone else’s Qualifying Child Dependent.
2. Relationship: The person must either have lived with you for the entire year as a member of the household OR be related to you in one of the following ways: your child, stepchild, grandchild or other descendant of one of your children (or stepchildren or foster children), son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, stepsister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, parent, stepfather, stepmother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, grandparent, and, if related by blood, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew.
3. Gross Income: The person must have made less than $4,000 in gross income during 2015.
4. Support: You must have provided more than half of the individual’s total support during the year.
I claim my little brother for years now, this year he worked and made 2800, he is 17 still in high school, does he do his own taxes and can I claim him still I support all. and my aunt moved in two years ago, she gets disability checks,she in a wheel chair permently age 48, is there any claming tjere? and one more iam back in college with student loans full time is there any breaks there? and what forms for my aunt and school if so? thank you….
Hi Billy,
As long as your brother still meets the other qualifications for you to claim him as a dependent, you can still claim him based on his income. Since you will be claiming the personal exemption for him, make sure that he does not if he files a tax return to report his federal withholding.
As for your aunt, you may be able to claim her as a dependent as well. You’ll want to see if she meets the requirements as a ‘qualifying relative dependent’.
When it comes to your student loans, you may qualify for a few different credits. Take a look at the Lifetime Learning Credit and American Opportunity Credit.
If you’re having trouble or need more information on what credits you may be eligible for, give our tax team a call at 877-289-7580.
my parent stayed with me 3 months in 2015, can i put them with me as dependent , right now they left for vacation
Hi Khalid,
There are several eligibility requirements that need to be met in order to claim your parent as a qualifying relative dependent. These requirements are as follows and must ALL be met:
1. The relative in question is not the ‘qualifying child’ dependent of you or someone else.
2. The relative in question must either have lived with you for the entire year as a member of the household OR be related to you as stated by the IRS (a parent is acceptable).
3. The relative in question must have earned less than $4,000 of gross income in 2015.
4. You must have provided more than half of the relative’s total support during the year.
Can i claim my 25 year old brother who lives with me and which is unemployed and i have provided for him all year long?
Hi Maria,
In order to claim a relative as an eligible dependent on your taxes, the individual in question must meet 4 main requirements:
1. They cannot be considered a qualifying child dependent according to the IRS for tax purposes.
2. They must have either lived with you for the entire year as a member of your household or be related to you according to the IRS for tax purposes (brother is a valid relation)
3. They must have made below a certain annual gross income (this amount was $3,950 for 2014 but may change for 2015. Updates are not released yet by the IRS).
4. You must have provided more than half of the individual’s total financial support annually.
As long as ALL of these qualifications are met, claiming your brother is valid.
hi,
my mom lives in Mexico, i send her money every 2 weeks or once a month sometimes.
can i still claim her as my dependent?
Hi Nora,
In order to claim your mother as a qualifying relative dependent, the following requirements mist be met:
1. She must be related to you (according to IRS rules).
2. She must have earned less than $3,950 in gross income for the year.
3. She must be a U.S. citizen.
4. You must have provided more than half of her total financial support for the year.