claiming qualifying dependants

[leigh32541]

What is the name of your state? Florida

I am trying to discern whether or not my boyfriend can claim my 17 year old daughter as his dependant. We live together, he pays the majority of the upkeep for the entire household. Florida does not recognize common law marriage and we have not legally tied the knot yet. From what I read a dependant has to be related or legally placed in the home. Isn't there a way around this for persons living together? The pertains to Head of Household with qualifying dependant.

 

[abezon]

"Placed by an agency" determines whether a child qualifies for the child tax credit or earned income credit. For dependency, he can claim her if he paid over 1/2 her support, she lived in his home the entire year, her gross income was less than $3100, & she does not file a joint return with anyone else. Don't forget that any child support you receive is considered money you contribute to her support, regardless of how it was actually spent.

You'll have to check the definition of qualifying child for head of household purposes with this year's 1040 instructions: it changes every year & I don't have this year's definition memorized yet.

He can use the same rules to claim you as a dependent. Whether he claims you or not, you can claim your daughter for earned income credit purposes if you had any earned income.