Not living in parents house help tax time?

[taxLAW]

I want to go back to school and cant afford it with out financial help, but financial aid wont help me more because I moved out of my house they still consider my mom contributing even though she is not but it does make a difference for school it cost more because I am out of county. So I was wondering if it would help with taxes or not make a difference. Last year she did not claim me and neither will this year. i am 21 and make 30K a year. Please Help. Thanks

[Neal1421]

Originally Posted by taxLAW

I want to go back to school and cant afford it with out financial help, but financial aid wont help me more because I moved out of my house they still consider my mom contributing even though she is not but it does make a difference for school it cost more because I am out of county. So I was wondering if it would help with taxes or not make a difference. Last year she did not claim me and neither will this year. i am 21 and make 30K a year. Please Help. Thanks

Did you file taxes last year? Do you have anything to show that you are supporting yourself?

[seniorjudge]

Originally Posted by taxLAW

I want to go back to school and cant afford it with out financial help, but financial aid wont help me more because I moved out of my house they still consider my mom contributing even though she is not but it does make a difference for school it cost more because I am out of county. So I was wondering if it would help with taxes or not make a difference. Last year she did not claim me and neither will this year. i am 21 and make 30K a year. Please Help. Thanks

Did you ask the people who give financial aid your question?

[taxLAW]

Originally Posted by Neal1421

Did you file taxes last year? Do you have anything to show that you are supporting yourself?

i did file taxes last year for myself with no dependants and stil living at my moms house.....anythng to show im supporting myself? like what?

[Neal1421]

Originally Posted by taxLAW

i did file taxes last year for myself with no dependants and stil living at my moms house.....anythng to show im supporting myself? like what?

Ok. Did you take you tax information to the financial aid office when you went?

[taxLAW]

Originally Posted by seniorjudge

Did you ask the people who give financial aid your question?

i asked them if not living at my moms house made a difference, and they sd no i still have to put her information there and they consider her contributing even though she is not contributing or me living there. i did not ask them about taxes, they deal with financial aid and not taxes so i figure they wouldnt be able to help me

[taxLAW]

i basically want to know if it will benefit more to say that i still living at home or tel them that i indeed moved out

[seniorjudge]

Originally Posted by taxLAW

i asked them if not living at my moms house made a difference, and they sd no i still have to put her information there and they consider her contributing even though she is not contributing or me living there. i did not ask them about taxes, they deal with financial aid and not taxes so i figure they wouldnt be able to help me

Your tax info is important to figuring out your financial aid.

Let them see your info.

[Neal1421]

Originally Posted by taxLAW

i asked them if not living at my moms house made a difference, and they sd no i still have to put her information there and they consider her contributing even though she is not contributing or me living there. i did not ask them about taxes, they deal with financial aid and not taxes so i figure they wouldnt be able to help me

If you were living with your parents last year, which I just saw you were, then they were supporting you by providing a roof over your head so their income may be considered.

I asked about your taxes because financial aid usually likes to see that you are supporting yourself if you claim that your parents are not supporting you, and your taxes would be one way to do that however since you were living with your parents it will be harder to prove.

[taxLAW]

Originally Posted by seniorjudge

Your tax info is important to figuring out your financial aid.

Let them see your info.

i do, when i apply for it i put my tax info and my moms tax info. But the will not give me more even though i get no help from mom or even live at her house BUT the school does charge more because i am out of county...so im wondering does it help with taxes that i am living on my own and paying more bills? basically it does not bebefit me with financial aid and harms me with school (pay more) so what about taxes? and also one more thing if i decide to say i still live at home for every purpose...is that lying to IRS?

[Neal1421]

Originally Posted by taxLAW

i do, when i apply for it i put my tax info and my moms tax info. But the will not give me more even though i get no help from mom or even live at her house BUT the school does charge more because i am out of county...so im wondering does it help with taxes that i am living on my own and paying more bills? basically it does not bebefit me with financial aid and harms me with school (pay more) so what about taxes? and also one more thing if i decide to say i still live at home for every purpose...is that lying to IRS?

Are you trying to claim head of household on your taxes? If so, and you are living with your parents yes you would be lying.

I don't see any other way that you are lying to the IRS by telling the school that you live at home with your parents.

[taxLAW]

Originally Posted by Neal1421

Are you trying to claim head of household on your taxes? If so, and you are living with your parents yes you would be lying.

I don't see any other way that you are lying to the IRS by telling the school that you live at home with your parents.

head of household? what is that? no i am NOT living with parents, they are NOT suporting me....5 months ago me and my boyfriend moved out and got apartment the lease is under both of our names**************.i dont want to get in trouble with IRS, is that what i would be doing if so they dont raise prices i say im still in county at my moms house?

[LdiJ]

Personally, I am confused about what you are trying to ask.

You don't live with your parents anymore. They didn't claim you as a dependent last year and they won't claim you as a dependent this year. When you file your taxes you simply file as single (or head of household if you have children and your boyfriend isn't the primary breadwinner) and use your correct, current address.

There is no reason for the IRS to even question your return, nor would there be anything illegal or improper about your return.

[mariet]

The following information was taken from a website providing information about federal financial aid:

Dependency for financial aid purposes is not the same as dependency for tax purposes. On the FAFSA, you will be asked a series of questions (below). Unless you can answer "Yes" to one of the following, you will be considered a dependent student for your financial aid:
Are you 24 years old or older?
At the beginning of the upcoming school year, will you be working on a master_s or doctorate program?
As of today, are you married?
Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?
Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and receive more than half of their support from you?
Are both of your parents deceased, or are you or were you a ward/dependent of the court?
Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
One of the most common questions we are asked by students is whether they can _declare themselves independent._ Unfortunately, unless you can answer "Yes" to one of the questions above, you will be considered a dependent student for financial aid purposes and will need to submit your parents_ income information on the FAFSA - even if they do not claim you on their taxes or provide any financial support to you.
Only in the rarest of situations - when there is documentation of a complete break in the family situation - can colleges override the general dependency criteria.

Message to taxLAW: I know it may not seem fair nor logical to be considered "dependent" when you are living on your own and supporting yourself, but the government believes parents have an obligation to contribute to their child's college education and therefore they will take your parents' finances into account when figuring your financial aid package. Look at it this way: should a student whose parents make $200,000 a year get the same financial aid package as a student whose parents make $20,000 a year, even if the student is living on his/her own?

[LdiJ]

Originally Posted by mariet

The following information was taken from a website providing information about federal financial aid:

Dependency for financial aid purposes is not the same as dependency for tax purposes. On the FAFSA, you will be asked a series of questions (below). Unless you can answer "Yes" to one of the following, you will be considered a dependent student for your financial aid:
Are you 24 years old or older?
At the beginning of the upcoming school year, will you be working on a master_s or doctorate program?
As of today, are you married?
Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?
Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and receive more than half of their support from you?
Are both of your parents deceased, or are you or were you a ward/dependent of the court?
Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
One of the most common questions we are asked by students is whether they can _declare themselves independent._ Unfortunately, unless you can answer "Yes" to one of the questions above, you will be considered a dependent student for financial aid purposes and will need to submit your parents_ income information on the FAFSA - even if they do not claim you on their taxes or provide any financial support to you.
Only in the rarest of situations - when there is documentation of a complete break in the family situation - can colleges override the general dependency criteria.

Message to taxLAW: I know it may not seem fair nor logical to be considered "dependent" when you are living on your own and supporting yourself, but the government believes parents have an obligation to contribute to their child's college education and therefore they will take your parents' finances into account when figuring your financial aid package. Look at it this way: should a student whose parents make $200,000 a year get the same financial aid package as a student whose parents make $20,000 a year, even if the student is living on his/her own?

BS! That is not remotely correct. If the whole issue is financial aid then the OP needs to be talking to a financial aid counselor at their school. However...that is a topic for another forum....this one deals with taxes.