Dependent Relative on disabilty

[kfowler57]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MO. My father, age 57, lives with me and I support him. He gets about $700 a month in disability and that is his only income. Is disability income the same as earned income regarding the $3700 limit for claiming a dependent relative. Thank you.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MO. My father, age 57, lives with me and I support him. He gets about $700 a month in disability and that is his only income. Is disability income the same as earned income regarding the $3700 limit for claiming a dependent relative. Thank you.

Your father wouldn't fall under the "dependent relative" rule because he is your father. However, he is only your dependent if he does not provide more than 50% of his own support. So you are going to have to compare the actual cost of the support you provide him, to his Social Security benefits. If you cannot demonstrate that it takes more that 1400.00 a month to support (total, his contributions from his SS benefits plus the support you provide) him you may have a hard time getting the IRS to agree that he is your dependent.

Our office fought this very issue a couple of year ago in an audit for one of our clients. In our client's case she was supporting her sister, who was on SSDI (although higher than your father's) but the sister donated a large chunk of it to her church. Our client lost the audit. You may have a better chance of success because your father's SSDI is less, but its not a foregone conclusion.