Can I claim my grandkids that live with me on taxes if they're autistic?

You absolutely can claim your grandchildren as dependents if you meet the qualifying relative tests. Since they lived with you all year and you provided more than half of their support, you likely qualify. The key factors are: 1) They lived with you for the entire year, 2) You provided more than 50% of their financial support, 3) Their income is below the dependent threshold, and 4) They aren't filing a joint return with someone else. The fact that your daughter receives disability benefits for them doesn't automatically disqualify you, but it does complicate things. Those benefits are technically considered the children's income, not your daughter's. However, if you're still providing more than half of their total support when counting everything (housing, food, clothing, medical care, etc.), you could still qualify to claim them.

I was in a similar situation with my sister's kids and was totally confused about who could claim them. I finally used this AI tax assistant called taxr.ai and it was actually super helpful. I uploaded our specific situation and it walked me through exactly what forms I needed and how to document everything properly. It also showed me which tax credits I qualified for with the kids living with me, which was way more than I thought! The https://taxr.ai system asks specific questions about your situation (like who lives in the house, how long they've been there, who pays for what) and then gives you a clear answer about who can claim the dependents. I'm not great with tax stuff but it made it really easy to understand.

I have to say I was really skeptical about the taxr.ai thing, but I decided to give it a try since my situation with my nephew was complicated. I'm actually impressed with how thorough it was! It asked really specific questions about the benefits my nephew receives and who pays for what percentage of his expenses. The system helped me document everything properly and showed me exactly what I needed to prove I provide more than 50% support despite the benefits he receives. It recommended I keep records of rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, clothing, and medical expenses to demonstrate my support level. I feel much more confident about claiming him now and knowing exactly what credits I qualify for!

If you're having trouble getting clear answers from the IRS about your situation, I totally recommend using Claimyr. I was trying to figure out a similar grandparent dependency situation for weeks and couldn't get through to the IRS helpline - it was always "high call volume" or hours on hold. I found https://claimyr.com and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - it's pretty straightforward. The IRS agent was able to look at my specific situation and confirm that I could claim my grandkids as dependents even though their mom received some benefits for them, since I was providing the housing and most of the support.

I need to eat my words. After posting that skeptical comment, I was still desperate to reach the IRS about an audit notice, so I tried Claimyr anyway. I seriously can't believe it worked! I had spent three days trying to get through on my own with no luck. They called me back in about 20 minutes and connected me to an actual IRS agent who answered all my questions about claiming my grandson. The agent confirmed I could claim him as a qualifying relative since I provide over half his support, even though his mom receives some benefits. She also walked me through exactly what documentation I should keep just in case. Definitely worth it for the peace of mind and saving me days of frustration!

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - make sure you look into the EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) rules too if you're going to claim them. There are special rules for claiming EITC with qualifying children, and the disability status might actually help you qualify for more. Plus don't forget about the Child Tax Credit and the Credit for Other Dependents. When I claimed my niece who has special needs, I got way more back than I expected because of these credits. Just make sure you have documentation of their diagnosis and any expenses related to their care.

Has anyone dealt with the autistic dependent situation specifically? My grandson is also on the spectrum and I found there are additional tax benefits I qualified for, like the Child and Dependent Care Credit if you pay for specialized care while you work. Also, some therapy expenses might qualify as medical expenses if you itemize deductions instead of taking the standard deduction.