Can I claim my 19-year-old cousin as a dependent on my taxes? He's unemployed and living with me

What if the cousin did have some income but it was under that $4,800 amount? Like would a few hundred from odd jobs mess things up?

As long as your cousin's total income for the year is under the $4,800 threshold, it won't disqualify him. So a few hundred dollars from odd jobs is perfectly fine - that won't mess anything up for your dependent claim. If he starts working more substantially but still lives with you and you provide over half his support, you can still claim him as long as his income stays under that threshold. Just make sure you're keeping good records of what you spend on his support in case of questions later.

Did you need to upload any specific proof documents? I'm in a similar situation but don't really have anything official showing my cousin lives with me besides maybe some mail that comes to my address.

I'm kinda skeptical about these tax tools. Does it actually give you different info than just googling the IRS rules? And how does it verify your situation is legit?

You don't need to upload proof documents to get the analysis - just information about your situation. The tool then identifies what documentation would be helpful to keep on file in case of an audit. Things like medical bills you paid, utility bills showing the shared address, or even a statement you create showing estimated support costs can be useful. The difference from just Googling is that it applies all the relevant tax rules to your specific situation simultaneously. It caught a qualifying relative exception in my case that generic searches missed. It doesn't verify your situation - that's between you and the IRS if you're audited - but it shows you exactly which rules apply to your circumstances and why.

Wait how does this even work? The IRS phone system is notoriously terrible. Is this some kind of special access line or something?

Sounds like BS to me. Nobody gets through to the IRS in 20 minutes, especially during tax season. I've literally called 30+ times this year.

It works by using their system to navigate the IRS phone tree and hold your place in the queue. It's not a special access line - it's the same IRS number everyone calls, but their technology handles the waiting part for you. When an agent finally becomes available, the system calls you and connects you right to the agent. I was skeptical too, but I was desperate after weeks of failing. The difference is you don't have to physically sit on hold - their system does that part. I've called the IRS directly many times and either get disconnected or have to set aside 2-3 hours. Not claiming it always works in 20 minutes, but it did for me, and it was during a non-peak time of day.

Would the credit still apply even if he's not been living with me the full year? And do I need to have some kind of written agreement about him staying with me?

For the Credit for Other Dependents ($500 credit), you would only qualify if your cousin meets all the dependent requirements, which includes living with you the full year for a cousin. Since he's only been there since March, you won't qualify for this year's taxes, but would for next year if he stays the full time. You don't need a formal written agreement, but should keep evidence that he lives with you. This could include mail addressed to him at your address, medical bills you paid, record of expenses you covered, or even a signed statement from him confirming the living arrangement. Documentation is key if the IRS questions the claim.

What happened with the audit? Did you have to pay penalties or just return the tax benefit?

I don't think he's filed taxes the last couple years since he hasn't had income. But that's a good point, I should probably ask him to be sure before I file.

This is super important! Both of you can't claim him. I had this happen with my niece and it delayed my refund by 5 months while the IRS sorted it out. Make sure you have that conversation before either of you file.