Can I claim my adult son as a dependent if he made over $5,000 in 2023?

I'm trying to file my taxes myself for the first time and I'm confused about dependent eligibility. My stepson turned 19 in 2023 and earned just over $5,000 during a short period of work last year. He's currently unemployed and lives with us while learning game development (not a traditional student). When I tried using two different tax software programs, I got conflicting results. One let me claim him without asking about his income, while the other asked about his earnings and told me he doesn't qualify since he made over $4,700. I'm assuming the second software is correct, but I have a few questions: 1. If he doesn't file his own taxes, does that change whether I can claim him? 2. For future years, could we contribute to a traditional IRA to get his AGI below $4,700 so I could still claim him as a dependent? It seems ridiculous that $4,700 is the cutoff amount - who can possibly live on that in today's economy? Where does this arbitrary number even come from? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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18 comments

Edison Estevez

•8M

The second tax software is correct. For a qualifying relative dependent who is not a student, the income limit for 2023 was $4,700. This is the "gross income test" for dependents. This figure is adjusted annually for inflation (it's $5,050 for 2024). If your stepson earned over $5,000, he fails the gross income test regardless of whether he files his own return. His filing status doesn't affect your ability to claim him - it's his actual income that matters. As for your IRA strategy - yes, contributing to a traditional IRA could potentially reduce his AGI below the threshold in future years, allowing you to claim him as a dependent. This is a legitimate tax planning strategy as long as he has earned income to make the IRA contribution. The income threshold seems low because it's designed for genuinely dependent individuals. The IRS assumes that someone earning above this amount can contribute significantly to their own support, even if they're still living at home.

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Edison Estevez

•8M

If he earned over $5,000, he's required to file his own tax return since that's above the standard deduction threshold for dependents. This is separate from whether you can claim him or not. If you had incorrectly claimed him, the IRS might not immediately reject your return, but it could flag it for review. This wouldn't necessarily trigger a full audit, but you might receive a letter asking for clarification or documentation. The IRS can cross-reference SSNs to verify dependent claims, so it's always better to follow the rules correctly.

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James Johnson

•8M

After struggling with similar dependent questions last year (my brother moved in with me while job hunting), I found taxr.ai https://taxr.ai incredibly helpful. It analyzed all the IRS dependency requirements and showed me exactly where the gross income test comes from in the tax code. Instead of just giving a yes/no answer like most tax software, it showed me all five tests for qualifying relatives and explained each one clearly. I discovered my brother could actually be claimed despite some income because of how they calculate support percentages. The tool walks you through each test with simple questions rather than tax jargon.

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James Johnson

•8M

It doesn't connect directly to IRS systems, but it's updated with the latest tax code and regulations. It's more of an advanced analysis tool that breaks down all the qualification tests in detail, not just a simple calculator. I've found it more thorough than most tax software. For partial year scenarios, it actually has specific questions about the time period someone lived with you. It walks through the "member of household" test and explains the exceptions and special rules for temporary absences, college students, and relatives who don't live with you. For your niece situation, it would ask about the exact months and help determine if she meets the residency requirements.

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Mia Green

•8M

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai from the earlier comment. It actually saved me from making a mistake with my niece's dependency status! The tool explained that since she lived with me for 7 months and I provided over half her support, she DOES qualify as my dependent even though I'm not related by blood. The explanation about the "member of household" test was super clear - apparently the whole year requirement doesn't apply in certain situations. The tool broke down exactly how much support I provided versus what she contributed herself, which made filing way less stressful. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with complicated dependent situations!

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Emma Bianchi

•8M

If you're still struggling with dependent questions or need to talk to the IRS directly, try Claimyr https://claimyr.com - it was a lifesaver when I needed to verify some dependent qualification rules. Instead of waiting on hold for 3+ hours, they got me connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes. I initially thought my son wouldn't qualify as my dependent after he started a part-time job, but the IRS agent confirmed I could still claim him based on our specific situation. You can see how it works in this quick video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was skeptical at first since the IRS is notoriously hard to reach, but this service actually delivers what it promises.

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Emma Bianchi

•8M

It uses a system that continually redials and navigates the IRS phone tree until it gets a spot in the queue, then calls you when an agent is about to be available. It's not just calling for you - it's using technology to persistently stay in the queue so you don't have to. I was definitely skeptical too! I had tried calling the IRS myself three different times and gave up after being on hold for over an hour each time. With Claimyr, I went about my day and got a call when they had an agent ready. The time savings alone was worth it for me - I could keep working instead of being stuck on hold for hours.

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Olivia Martinez

•8M

I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr from my comment above. After my frustrating experience trying to resolve a dependent issue similar to yours, I finally tried the service out of desperation. Not only did I get connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes, but the agent was able to confirm exactly which tests my daughter needed to meet to qualify as my dependent this year. Turns out the support test calculation was more complicated than I thought, and the gross income limit doesn't even apply in my situation since she's a full-time student. I was 100% wrong and honestly shocked that something actually worked as advertised when dealing with the IRS. Saved me hours of hold music and probably from making an expensive mistake on my return.

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Charlie Yang

•8M

That's correct! If your daughter is under 24 and a full-time student (generally defined as taking a full course load for at least 5 months of the year), then the gross income test doesn't apply for determining if she's your qualifying child. She would need to meet the other tests: relationship (your daughter, so check), residency (lived with you for more than half the year), age (under 19 or under 24 if full-time student), and support (you provide more than half her support). The number of classes determines full-time status according to the school's definition, so 3 classes might qualify if her school considers that full-time.

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