Can I claim both parents as dependents on my tax return?

Yes, you can claim both parents as dependents! This is a common misconception that trips people up. Since your parents meet the qualifying relative tests (US citizens with SSNs, lived with you all year, you provided more than 50% of their support), you can claim both of them - even though they're married and filed jointly. The key is that each parent individually must meet the criteria for a qualifying relative. The confusion might be coming from the income test. For 2025, your parents' gross income must each be less than $5,100 (this number adjusts annually) to qualify as your dependents. If they both have income below this threshold individually, you can claim both of them, regardless of their filing status. The fact that they didn't check the box saying they could be claimed as dependents isn't ideal, but it doesn't automatically disqualify you from claiming them. They should have checked that box if they knew you would be claiming them, but this is fixable - they could file an amended return to correct this.

Hey there! I was in a very similar situation last year with my in-laws living with us. I was getting conflicting advice from every tax pro I talked to and was about to give up when I found this AI tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that specifically analyzes dependent eligibility. I uploaded my documents and answered a few questions, and it confirmed I could claim both in-laws despite them filing jointly. The tool explained that the "married filing jointly" confusion comes from a misunderstanding of the support test - each person needs to be evaluated separately for the qualifying relative tests. The report it generated laid out exactly which IRS rules applied to my situation and even cited the specific sections of IRS Publication 501 that cover multiple dependents within a married couple. I printed it out and keep it with my tax records just in case of an audit.

Wanted to update after trying taxr.ai for my complicated dependent situation with my part-time nephew and dad living separately. THANK YOU for recommending this! The tool walked me through specific questions about physical custody percentages for my nephew and the support calculations for my dad. It turns out I CAN claim my dad even though he doesn't live with me because he falls under the exception for parents, but my nephew situation was more complex because of the custody arrangement with my sister. The analysis broke down exactly how much support I needed to document to meet the 50% threshold, and gave me a checklist of records to keep. Saved me at least $1200 in tax liability that my regular tax software wasn't catching because it wasn't asking the right questions about my situation!

If you're still getting conflicting advice and need clarification straight from the IRS, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar situation with claiming my elderly parents last year and couldn't get through to the IRS for weeks. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS representative in about 15 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. I explained my situation about claiming both parents who filed jointly, and the IRS agent confirmed I could claim both as long as they each individually met the qualifying relative tests. She even referenced the specific section in Publication 501 that addressed my question. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - it's basically a service that navigates the IRS phone system for you and calls you back when they've got an agent on the line. Way better than sitting on hold for hours only to get disconnected.

I need to eat my words and apologize to whoever recommended Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway because I was desperate to resolve an issue with a missing tax refund from 2022. I've literally tried calling the IRS 30+ times over the past few months without getting through. Used Claimyr yesterday and had an IRS agent on the line in 22 minutes. TWENTY-TWO MINUTES! The agent was able to locate my missing refund and confirm it was being processed after they found my amended return that had been sitting in a backlog. For the original poster - I asked about the parent dependent situation while I had the agent on the phone (since I might be in a similar situation next year) and she confirmed you CAN claim both parents as dependents even if they file jointly, as long as you provide more than half their support and they each meet the income requirements. She said it's a common area of confusion even among tax preparers.

Something important that hasn't been mentioned yet - there's a special rule for married dependents. If your parents filed a joint return, you can only claim them as dependents if they weren't required to file a return and only filed to get a refund of taxes withheld. With the Social Security income you mentioned, they probably weren't required to file (since most Social Security isn't taxable). But if they filed for any other reason besides getting a refund of withheld taxes, you might not be able to claim either of them. Also, make sure their gross income (not counting Social Security) is under the threshold ($5,100 for 2025). Each parent needs to meet this test individually.

I had this same issue! The form where you list dependents (Form 1040) doesn't limit how many dependents you can claim. You just list them all in Part I of the dependent section. One thing though - are you sure you want to claim them? By claiming them as dependents, you might be messing up their ability to get certain tax credits or benefits that they'd qualify for otherwise. Have you checked if this could affect their situation negatively?

Great question! I went through this exact situation with my parents two years ago and can confirm you CAN claim both parents as dependents even though they're married and filed jointly. The key things to verify: 1. Each parent individually meets the gross income test (under $5,100 for 2025) 2. You provided more than 50% of their total support 3. They lived with you for the full year 4. They only filed their joint return to get a refund of withheld taxes From what you've described, it sounds like you meet all the criteria. The Social Security income likely won't count toward the gross income limit since it's typically not taxable at their income level. One tip: create a simple spreadsheet tracking all the support you provide (housing costs, utilities, food, medical, etc.) versus any support they provide themselves. This documentation will be invaluable if you're ever questioned about the dependency claims. Also, double-check that claiming them won't disqualify them from any credits or benefits they might be eligible for independently - sometimes the family saves more money overall by not claiming the dependents if they qualify for certain credits on their own return.