Claiming your loved one as a dependent
The tax dependent claim, or head of household
Reviewed in every planFederal If you pay more than half of what your loved one lives on, and their taxable income is low (SSI does not count), you can claim them on your own tax return. That opens head of household status, a $500 credit, and sometimes the Earned Income Credit. No signature from them needed.
Leads to
Earned Income CreditMedical expense deductionDependent care credit
Where Families Get Stuck
Families assume an adult cannot be a dependent, or that their SSI counts as income. Neither is true.
The details
- Worth
- $500 credit plus head of household rates
- Forms
- Form 1040
We research and prepare. We do not file.