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March 6, 2024
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kid's income

  • March 6, 2024
  • 1 reply
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Hi, 

My son worked for two months last year and earned income. He is a college student. Does he need to file a separate return, as he is my dependent?

Best answer by MinhT1

If your son has income in 2023, you don't report your son's income on your tax return.

 

You can still claim him as a dependent if he didn't provide more than half of his own support for the year and he was under 19 at the end of 2023 (or under 24 and a full-time student).

 

If he was 19 or older (or 24 or older and a full-time student), you can't claim him as a dependent if he earned more than $4,700 in 2023.

 

If it has to be reported, at all, it goes on his own return. If your dependent son is under age 19 (or under 24 and a full-time student), he must file a tax return for 2023 if he had any of the following:

 

  1. Total income (wages, salaries, taxable scholarship etc.) of more than $13,850 in 2023.
  2. Unearned income (interest, dividends, capital gains) of more than $1,250.
  3. Gross income (earned plus unearned) exceeding the larger of $1,250 or her earned income (up to $13,850) plus $400.
  4. Other self-employment income over $400, including box 1 of a 1099-NEC

If your dependent son files his own return, he has to indicate in the My Info section of TurboTax that he can be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer.

 

Even if he had less, he can file if he needs to get back income tax withholding. He can't get back Social Security or Medicare tax withholding.

1 reply

MinhT1Answer
March 6, 2024

If your son has income in 2023, you don't report your son's income on your tax return.

 

You can still claim him as a dependent if he didn't provide more than half of his own support for the year and he was under 19 at the end of 2023 (or under 24 and a full-time student).

 

If he was 19 or older (or 24 or older and a full-time student), you can't claim him as a dependent if he earned more than $4,700 in 2023.

 

If it has to be reported, at all, it goes on his own return. If your dependent son is under age 19 (or under 24 and a full-time student), he must file a tax return for 2023 if he had any of the following:

 

  1. Total income (wages, salaries, taxable scholarship etc.) of more than $13,850 in 2023.
  2. Unearned income (interest, dividends, capital gains) of more than $1,250.
  3. Gross income (earned plus unearned) exceeding the larger of $1,250 or her earned income (up to $13,850) plus $400.
  4. Other self-employment income over $400, including box 1 of a 1099-NEC

If your dependent son files his own return, he has to indicate in the My Info section of TurboTax that he can be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer.

 

Even if he had less, he can file if he needs to get back income tax withholding. He can't get back Social Security or Medicare tax withholding.

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lingmAuthor
March 6, 2024

my son is a full-time student, but he took the spring semester off and worked. He was 19 when he was working, but he did pay income tax. So I can still claim him as a dependent, right ?

thanks!

March 6, 2024

If your son was 19 and a full-time student, living with and receiving over half of his support from you, then you can still claim him as a dependent regardless of his gross income. He should file his own return to report his wage income, and report on his form that he can be claimed as a dependent.

 

See this tax tips article for more information about tax benefits for students and this one regarding rules for claiming dependents.

 

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