Can I still claim my son as a dependent if he only went to school 5 months out of the 2023 year?

It depends. If your son meets ‌the criteria below, you can claim him as your qualifying child (as long as he was a full-time student for at least five months in 2023).

The following questions must be true:

For a Qualifying Child 

• They must be related to you. 
• They can’t be claimed as a dependent by someone else. 
• They must be a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident. 
• If they are married, they can’t file a joint return with their spouse. 
• They must be under the age of 19 (or 24 for full-time students). 
  • No age limit for permanently and totally disabled children. 
• They must have lived with you for more than half the year (exceptions apply). 
• They didn't provide more than half of their own support for the year. 

If your son doesn't meet the criteria to be your qualifying child, he may meet the criteria as a qualifying relative dependent.

For a Qualifying Relative

• Have been a U.S. citizen or resident, or a resident of Canada or Mexico for at least part of the year.
• Received less than $4,700 in gross income (except nontaxable Social Security benefits) in 2023.
• Received more than 50% of his support from you.
• Not be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer.
• Not file a joint return.

For additional information, review the TurboTax article Rules for Claiming a Dependent on Your Tax Return.