I was wonderin what the rules are about claiming someone on your taxes. Is there an age cut off or income limits? Im completely clueless on this subject
If they are not a qualifying child of any other taxpayer, you can claim someone as a dependent only if they meet the following conditions:
If all those are true, you can claim them, but if you have questions, it's always best to seek professional advice (I used to do this for a living, but that was some years ago, and the rules change a lot from year to year) to avoid pitfalls. For instance, the IRS will ALWAYS audit your return if you and someone else claim the same person as a dependent.
Age cut off, generally...and, income limits. If they are over 18, you can only claim them if they live at home, don't earn money, etc...those are the broad generalizations.
If you do it yourself, the various tax software programs walk you through the checklist for how to determine if they qualify...if you hire H&R block or similar, they can give you similar advice (just in person, instead of on screen).
You can also claim a parent as a dependent, if they live with you, don't work, etc...but, whoever you do claim can't claim themselves when they (or if they) file taxes, so there are implications for whoever you put as a dependent on the tax forms.
