Question Regarding Federal Tax Return Based on Parent's Own Tax

[ChaseD7W]

I live in Missouri.

I filed my taxes over four months ago with the prospect of receiving a majority of my federal income tax back since I am still attending high school.

I turned eighteen last September and have been working since March of '07.


I have not yet received my return, and my mother has told me that due to problems they are encountering on their own taxes it is affecting mine. She said she has spoken to an IRS spokesperson and was told that I may not receive my tax return at all, and that it will could applied to the current amount owed to the IRS by my parents since I was listed as a dependent under my mother on their own filings.

My question is simply this; is this above at all true, or has my mother pulled the wool over my eyes so that she can keep my tax return for herself?

Thank you very much for your time,

Charles Harrison

[irsos]

Originally Posted by ChaseD7W

I live in Missouri.

I filed my taxes over four months ago with the prospect of receiving a majority of my federal income tax back since I am still attending high school.

I turned eighteen last September and have been working since March of '07.


I have not yet received my return, and my mother has told me that due to problems they are encountering on their own taxes it is affecting mine. She said she has spoken to an IRS spokesperson and was told that I may not receive my tax return at all, and that it will could applied to the current amount owed to the IRS by my parents since I was listed as a dependent under my mother on their own filings.

My question is simply this; is this above at all true, or has my mother pulled the wool over my eyes so that she can keep my tax return for herself?

Thank you very much for your time,

Charles Harrison

I am sorry but your mother is not telling the truth. What likely happened is that they claimed you as a dependent. The IRS is not even allowed to discuss your return with your parents since you are not a minor. I am not saying they were not entitled to claim you - not enough facts. I am just saying that her explanation is not true. Furthermore, being claimed as a dependent does not allow the IRS to offset your refund against your parents return.

[LdiJ]

Originally Posted by ChaseD7W

I live in Missouri.

I filed my taxes over four months ago with the prospect of receiving a majority of my federal income tax back since I am still attending high school.

I turned eighteen last September and have been working since March of '07.


I have not yet received my return, and my mother has told me that due to problems they are encountering on their own taxes it is affecting mine. She said she has spoken to an IRS spokesperson and was told that I may not receive my tax return at all, and that it will could applied to the current amount owed to the IRS by my parents since I was listed as a dependent under my mother on their own filings.

My question is simply this; is this above at all true, or has my mother pulled the wool over my eyes so that she can keep my tax return for herself?

Thank you very much for your time,

Charles Harrison

I am going to slightly disagree with the other response that you received.

You are your parent's dependent because you are still in high school. Therefore you should have filed your tax return as a dependent of another. If you did not do so, you filed your tax return incorrectly.

Depending on how much money you made for the year, and how much you had withheld, that might or might not still result in a refund for you. You are normally obligated to correct your return by filing an amended return.

However, that is where everything breaks down, and where is appears that your mother is either not being entirely honest with you or there is some miscommunication.

The IRS cannot hold your tax refund due to something on your parent's return, even if you are listed as their dependent. Nor can the IRS discuss your return with your parents, since you are over 18.

Normally the IRS would not hold your refund anyway. They would still give it to you and sort things out later. However there are exceptions to that. Sometimes the IRS will choose to review a return before issuing a refund. However, when that happens they send out correspondence to that effect.

I don't know what has really happened here. However I do know that there is almost no chance that you were not your parent's dependent for 2007 and I suspect that whatever your parents are telling you, or have done, has to do with that.

[ChaseD7W]

Thank you for your responses, I really appreciate the time you took to post them.


Does anyone know a way that I may be able to get in contact with the IRS and what I should ask them when I contact them?

[irsos]

Originally Posted by LdiJ

I am going to slightly disagree with the other response that you received.

You are your parent's dependent because you are still in high school. Therefore you should have filed your tax return as a dependent of another. If you did not do so, you filed your tax return incorrectly.

Although that is somewhat likely, it is certainly not a forgone conclusion given what little facts we have. There are not enough facts to come to a conclusion about that. If he was living away from home and/or provided more than 50% of his own support - he is NOT a dependent.

[LdiJ]

Originally Posted by irsos

Although that is somewhat likely, it is certainly not a forgone conclusion given what little facts we have. There are not enough facts to come to a conclusion about that. If he was living away from home and/or provided more than 50% of his own support - he is NOT a dependent.

The odds of someone in high school providing more than 50% of their own support is exceedingly slim. Not impossible, but quite slim. In addition, the act of living away from home by itself, does not preclude someone still being their parent's dependent...and remember, he didn't turn 18 until September. If he had graduated last May, which he did not, then it would be more likely that he provided more than 50% of his own support.

[TinkerBelleLuvr]

Originally Posted by ChaseD7W

Thank you for your responses, I really appreciate the time you took to post them.


Does anyone know a way that I may be able to get in contact with the IRS and what I should ask them when I contact them?

Telephone Assistance for Individuals:
Toll-Free, 1-800-829-1040
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. your local time (Alaska & Hawaii follow Pacific Time).

or

http://www.irs.gov/
in the middle of the page is the option: Where is my refund.

You will need your tax return that you filed to answer the questions.
To get to your personal refund information, be ready to enter your:

Social Security Number (or IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number)
Filing status (Single, Married Filing Joint Return, Married Filing Separate Return, Head of Household, or Qualifying Widow(er))
Exact refund amount shown on your return