FANOFJESUS
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
My mother makes 15k a year in social security and $300 a year in interest. Can I claim her as a dependent on my taxes? I do provide more than 50% of the support. Yes she does live with me.
Can I claim her as a dependent?
- Thread starter FANOFJESUS
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FANOFJESUS
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
15k and the $300 is her only income and none of the SS in taxable because this is her total income. Thank You RedHawk
rothlev
Recycles dryer sheets
right, mother is not required to file a tax return at all. ( assuming she has no witholding on her social security) As long as her taxable income is below the exemption amount of 3650, you can claim her as a dependent.
youbet
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
For rec7 to provide more than 50% of his mom's support, does that mean he needs to spend more than $15,300 supporting her? That is, she has $15,300 to spend on herself so her total needs must exceed $30,600 with rec7 providing everything over $15,300?
rothlev
Recycles dryer sheets
a person's funds own funds are not support unless they are actually spent on support. You compute support by comparing the amount you contributed with the entire amount of support the person received from all sources. Included are lodging, including fair rental value, food, utililties, repairs, clothing, medical, travel etc...
Rothlev, let me see if I understand. Say, rec7's mother spends 10k/year on food/shelter/etc. I think you are saying even though she has income of 15.3k, she might be "saving" that income, while rec7 pays all 10k for her expenses for example. In that case, rec7 could claim 100% support for his mother, let alone 50%...
Of course, separately, rec7's mother could also give him a nice christmas gift of 10k out of those saved 15.3k.. right?
Is this what you are saying?
Of course, separately, rec7's mother could also give him a nice christmas gift of 10k out of those saved 15.3k.. right?
Is this what you are saying?
youbet
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
That's interesting. I never thought about the concept that you could provide support for and take a person as a dependent even if they had their own income and could support themselves.
rothlev
Recycles dryer sheets
In the case of blood relatives, ie ) parent or siblings they do not even have to live with you in order for you to take them as a dependent. if mom lives in your house and the fair value of the room and her share of the utilities are computed, and you buy all the food, then she could easily be your dependent. The trick here is her adjusted gross income must not be above the exemption amount. If her income were, say a civil service pension of 1k a month she would not qualify. However, social security income of the same amount does qualify.
rothlev
Recycles dryer sheets
Actually, the IRS has a rather complicated looking worksheet to figure the support issue out.
Worksheet 3-1.Worksheet for Determining Support
Funds Belonging to the Person You Supported 1.Enter the total funds belonging to the person you supported, including income received (taxable and nontaxable) and amounts borrowed during the year, plus the amount in savings and other accounts at the beginning of the year 1. 2.Enter the amount on line 1 that was used for the person's support2. 3.Enter the amount on line 1 that was used for other purposes3. 4.Enter the total amount in the person's savings and other accounts at the end of the year4. 5.Add lines 2 through 4. (This amount should equal line 1.)5. Expenses for Entire Household (where the person you supported lived) 6.Lodging (complete line 6a or 6b): 6a. Enter the total rent paid 6a. 6b. Enter the fair rental value of the home. If the person you supported owned the home,
also include this amount in line 21. 6b. 7.Enter the total food expenses7. 8.Enter the total amount of utilities (heat, light, water, etc. not included in line 6a or 6b)8. 9.Enter the total amount of repairs (not included in line 6a or 6b)9. 10.Enter the total of other expenses. Do not include expenses of maintaining the home, such as mortgage interest, real estate taxes, and insurance. 10. 11.Add lines 6a through 10. These are the total household expenses11. 12.Enter total number of persons who lived in the household12. Expenses for the Person You Supported 13.Divide line 11 by line 12. This is the person's share of the household expenses13. 14.Enter the person's total clothing expenses14. 15.Enter the person's total education expenses15. 16.Enter the person's total medical and dental expenses not paid for or reimbursed by insurance16. 17.Enter the person's total travel and recreation expenses17. 18.Enter the total of the person's other expenses18. 19.Add lines 13 through 18. This is the total cost of the person's support for the year19. Did the Person Provide More Than Half of His or Her Own Support? 20.Multiply line 19 by 50% (.50)20. 21.Enter the amount from line 2, plus the amount from line 6b if the person you supported owned
the home. This is the amount the person provided for his or her own support 21. 22.Is line 21 more than line 20?
No. You meet the support test for this person to be your qualifying child. If this person also meets the other tests to be a qualifying child, stop here; do not complete lines 23–26. Otherwise, go to line 23 and fill out the rest of the worksheet to determine if this person is your qualifying relative.
Yes. You do not meet the support test for this person to be either your qualifying child or your qualifying relative. Stop here.
Did You Provide More Than Half? 23.Enter the amount others provided for the person's support. Include amounts provided by state, local, and other welfare societies or agencies. Do not include any amounts included on line 1. 23. 24.Add lines 21 and 2324. 25.Subtract line 24 from line 19. This is the amount you provided for the person's support25. 26.Is line 25 more than line 20?
Yes. You meet the support test for this person to be your qualifying relative.
No. You do not meet the support test for this person to be your qualifying relative. You cannot claim an exemption for this person unless you can do so under a multiple support agreement, the support test for children of divorced or separated parents, or the special rule for kidnapped children. See Multiple Support Agreement , Support Test for Children of Divorced or Separated Parents or Parents Who Live Apart , or Kidnapped Child under Qualifying Relative.
Worksheet 3-1.Worksheet for Determining Support
Funds Belonging to the Person You Supported 1.Enter the total funds belonging to the person you supported, including income received (taxable and nontaxable) and amounts borrowed during the year, plus the amount in savings and other accounts at the beginning of the year 1. 2.Enter the amount on line 1 that was used for the person's support2. 3.Enter the amount on line 1 that was used for other purposes3. 4.Enter the total amount in the person's savings and other accounts at the end of the year4. 5.Add lines 2 through 4. (This amount should equal line 1.)5. Expenses for Entire Household (where the person you supported lived) 6.Lodging (complete line 6a or 6b): 6a. Enter the total rent paid 6a. 6b. Enter the fair rental value of the home. If the person you supported owned the home,
also include this amount in line 21. 6b. 7.Enter the total food expenses7. 8.Enter the total amount of utilities (heat, light, water, etc. not included in line 6a or 6b)8. 9.Enter the total amount of repairs (not included in line 6a or 6b)9. 10.Enter the total of other expenses. Do not include expenses of maintaining the home, such as mortgage interest, real estate taxes, and insurance. 10. 11.Add lines 6a through 10. These are the total household expenses11. 12.Enter total number of persons who lived in the household12. Expenses for the Person You Supported 13.Divide line 11 by line 12. This is the person's share of the household expenses13. 14.Enter the person's total clothing expenses14. 15.Enter the person's total education expenses15. 16.Enter the person's total medical and dental expenses not paid for or reimbursed by insurance16. 17.Enter the person's total travel and recreation expenses17. 18.Enter the total of the person's other expenses18. 19.Add lines 13 through 18. This is the total cost of the person's support for the year19. Did the Person Provide More Than Half of His or Her Own Support? 20.Multiply line 19 by 50% (.50)20. 21.Enter the amount from line 2, plus the amount from line 6b if the person you supported owned
the home. This is the amount the person provided for his or her own support 21. 22.Is line 21 more than line 20?
No. You meet the support test for this person to be your qualifying child. If this person also meets the other tests to be a qualifying child, stop here; do not complete lines 23–26. Otherwise, go to line 23 and fill out the rest of the worksheet to determine if this person is your qualifying relative.
Yes. You do not meet the support test for this person to be either your qualifying child or your qualifying relative. Stop here.
Did You Provide More Than Half? 23.Enter the amount others provided for the person's support. Include amounts provided by state, local, and other welfare societies or agencies. Do not include any amounts included on line 1. 23. 24.Add lines 21 and 2324. 25.Subtract line 24 from line 19. This is the amount you provided for the person's support25. 26.Is line 25 more than line 20?
Yes. You meet the support test for this person to be your qualifying relative.
No. You do not meet the support test for this person to be your qualifying relative. You cannot claim an exemption for this person unless you can do so under a multiple support agreement, the support test for children of divorced or separated parents, or the special rule for kidnapped children. See Multiple Support Agreement , Support Test for Children of Divorced or Separated Parents or Parents Who Live Apart , or Kidnapped Child under Qualifying Relative.
FANOFJESUS
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
NO wonder I was confused at first. Thanks everyone for your help and for setting me straight.
