Question

Can I claim my mother-in-law as a dependent?

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
June 5, 2019
1 reply
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She lived with us for several years. She had a low paying job but did not pay anything for rent, utilities, etc. Then last year she became ill and only worked 2 week and passed away in September.

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You may be able to claim your mother in law as a Qualifying Relative dependent (even though she passed away in 2016) if:

You provided more than half of her support in 2016
She earned less than $4,050 in gross taxable income. (Social Security income generally doesn’t count here.)
She lives with you 365 days in the year or is related to you.
She isn’t a dependent on someone else’s tax return.
She isn’t filing a tax return with a spouse (married filing jointly).
She was a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident

You can’t claim a dependent if you are a dependent on someone else’s taxes

See Rules For Claiming Dependents