Dependent or not

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
February 7, 2024
3 replies
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Hi experts, I have a son of 19 years old who started attending college. Last year he lived in a dorm (out of state) for 4 months and also had a small income for his part-time job.

I'm wondering if I need to include him as a dependent like before or not. He had his own income (which is small) with W2, so I think his income also needs to be reported.

My guess is that he may get a refund if he files his own tax report, but I would like to know which is the best.

Ask the Experts - MetLife II - Feb 2024

Best answer by DawnC

Yes, you can and should claim him. As long as he is not supporting himself, you can still claim him as a dependent. Being away at school is a temporary absence, and he is considered to be at home, living with you, his parent(s), for tax purposes.

And yes, he should file his own Form 1040 and get a refund of whatever is in Box 2 of his W-2. Make sure he marks the box that says Someone else can and will claim me on their tax return.

DawnCAnswer

Employee

And yes, he should file his own Form 1040 and get a refund of whatever is in Box 2 of his W-2. Make sure he marks the box that says Someone else can and will claim me on their tax return.

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ee-ea

Employee

Run the Interactive Tax Assistant

Mike9241

There is no requirement to claim a dependent, though it's usually in the taxpayer's best interest to do so. Your claiming him does not affect his taxes. If he qualifies as a dependent, regardless of whether you claim him or not, he must indicate on his return that he can be claimed as a dependent.