Can I claim my boyfriend as a dependent

Yes, your boyfriend can be claimed as a dependent if they pass some of the same tests used to determine if a child or relative can be claimed as a dependent.

First, your significant other cannot be claimed as a dependent if they are eligible to be claimed as a dependent on another tax return. Whether your boyfriend or girlfriend is being claimed is irrelevant, it’s the eligibility that matters. Once you see the rules, especially the residency and support rules, this will make perfect sense. So, if your significant other’s parents could claim them, you cannot. Your significant other also cannot file a joint tax return, in most cases, and must be a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a resident of Canada or Mexico.

That’s the first phase of tests.

If he passes those rules, these four “tests” will need to be passed to qualify as a dependent. He:

• Is not a “qualifying child” of a taxpayer. The IRS has specific qualifying child rules based on relationship, age, residency, and joint return
• Earned less than $4,050 in taxable income (amount of the personal exemption) in 2016
• Did not provide over half of his or her own support
• Lived with you all year as a member of your household (keep in mind: dependent relatives do not have to live with you)

As you can see, the tests make it impossible for someone to be claimed as a dependent on two returns. Either you provided their support or someone else did.

If your significant other passes these tests, TurboTax makes it easy to claim the dependent exemption by asking simple questions about your life.

If you and your significant other are living together and considering this route, there are also other ways you can save a lot of money by integrating your finances, without having to get married. For example, you could combine auto insurance policies for a multi-car discount. It might not be as romantic as getting married, but it could result in big savings over the course of a year!