Question on Dependent vs Independent

[swimcatsmom]

<p>It all depends how much of your own support you will be providing. For tax purposes if you will be providing more than half your own support you cannot be claimed as a dependent by your parents. Your parents do not have to provide half your support, but you cannot provide more than half your own support. Providing your own support would include your income, loans you take out, savings of your own that you use, but not scholarships. Under IRS rules to be claimed as a dependent on your fathers taxes you must meet six test to be considered a qualifying child:</p>

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1.  Relationship,
   

2.  Age, **A full-time student under age 24 at the end of the year and younger than you (or your spouse if filing jointly)**, 
   

3.  Residency, **To meet this test, your child must have lived with you for more than half of the year. There are exceptions for temporary absences, children who were born or died during the year, kidnapped children, and children of divorced or separated parents.
   

Temporary absences. Your child is considered to have lived with you during periods of time when one of you, or both, are temporarily absent due to special circumstances such as:
* Illness,
* Education,
* Business,
* Vacation, or
* Military service.**
**4. Support, To meet this test, the child cannot have provided more than half of his or her own support for the year.
Scholarships. A scholarship received by a child who is a full-time student is not taken into account in determining whether the child provided more than half of his or her own support. **
5. Joint return, and
6. Special test for qualifying child of more than one person.

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