Skip to main content
June 4, 2019
Question

Qualifying dependent - full time student

  • June 4, 2019
  • 19 replies
  • 0 views
I have a full time college student who earned $4,300  from a part-time job during 2015 and lived at home for 3 months during the year.  I've paid more than 50% of his support during 2015.  Can he be considered a qualified dependent on my tax return.

19 replies

June 4, 2019
Student earned $6000; what then?
Carl11_2
Employee
June 4, 2019
Read what I posted previously. There is NO income limit what-so-ever on the student, and there is NO support requirement on the parent. The student can earn a million dollars, and so long as the STUDENT did NOT provide MORE than 50% of their OWN support, the parent qualifies to claim them. There is no requirement for the parent to provide one single penny of support.
June 4, 2019
How do I bypass the $4000 requirement? If I answer yes, my daughter is disqualified and I can't claim her or the education deductions.  If I answer no, even though she did, she qualifies, but I just lied to get the deduction.
Carl11_2
Employee
June 4, 2019
You answered something wrong if you're being asked about income on a dependent student under the age of 24 on dec 31 of the tax year. I suggest you go back to the Personal Info section and completely delete her from the Dependents section, and then reenter her information anew. But this time, read each screen slowly, carefully, and completely. (the notes in small print *do* matter). Then go back to the education section and try again.
The question I suspect you're answering wrong is asking if your daughter provided more than 50% of her support. It's not asking if YOU did.
June 4, 2019
Thanks! I was thinking of doing that because it makes no sense.
June 4, 2019
My error was in the amount of time she lived with us in the year.  Being away for school as a full time student is considered a "temporary absence"; therefore I can say she lived with me all year.  Once this was corrected, her income did not factor in.  Thanks for the assistance!
June 4, 2019
I went back and deleted it my daughter and added her again and I am still getting that she is not eligible as a dependent.  I have put that she lived with us for 5 months and that no she did not pay for half of her expenses and she only made $4090 last year.  Why is it still saying that she is not eligible as a dependent on our taxes
June 4, 2019
If your daughter is a college student (at least half time) and is away from home, that is considered a "temporary absence", which is a valid reason to live away from home,  and can be counted as living at home all year.  Instead of stating she lived with you 5 months,  select all year.  This will bypass the question of how much she earned. Click on the help link on the "living with you" question and it'll explain what the valid reason for living away from home are.
Carl11_2
Employee
June 4, 2019
Spot on. The "learn more" link does state to consider time spent away at school, as having lived with you.
June 4, 2019
WOW, thank you for your response! I followed this thread and found that I have missed the same thing for the past 2 years. I went from owing over $1300.  in taxes to getting a refund this year of almost $2000.  I now will go back and amend my 2013 and 2014 taxes!!! What a relief!