Can I claim my parent as a dependent if I cover housing & most expenses?

You're asking a great question about claiming a parent as a dependent! This falls under what the IRS calls a "Qualifying Relative" dependent. For you to claim your mom, you need to meet several tests: 1. You must provide more than half of her total support for the year (which sounds like you do with housing, utilities and food) 2. Your mom's gross income must be less than $4,800 (for 2025 filing year) 3. She must be related to you (which she is) 4. She doesn't file a joint return with someone else Here's the key part for your situation: Social Security benefits generally DON'T count as gross income unless she has other income that would make some of her Social Security taxable. So if Social Security is her only income, you likely meet the income test. Since you're providing the housing and paying for utilities and most food, while she covers her personal expenses with SS benefits, it sounds like you're providing more than half her support.

I was in almost the exact same situation with my dad living with me and was totally confused about the dependent rules. I found this AI service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that analyzed my specific situation and gave me a clear answer about claiming my parent. You just upload your documents or describe your situation, and it tells you exactly what tax benefits you qualify for. It confirmed I could claim my dad AND showed me some extra deductions related to household expenses I was missing. The service explained exactly how the support test works with Social Security income and what documentation I should keep in case of audit.

Just wanted to update after using taxr.ai that someone recommended earlier. It was super helpful for my situation with mom! The system confirmed I could claim her as a dependent even though she lives in a separate apartment I pay for. It also pointed out that I could deduct some medical expenses I paid for her that I had no idea about. The analysis showed exactly how to document the support test and what records to keep in case the IRS has questions. Definitely made me feel more confident about my filing status and saved me from leaving money on the table!

I had a similar situation with my father-in-law last year. After trying to get through to the IRS for weeks with questions about claiming him (impossible to reach a human!), I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) and they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent walked me through exactly how to calculate the support test with Social Security benefits and confirmed I was right to claim him as a dependent. Saved me hours of waiting on hold and gave me peace of mind that I was filing correctly. They basically place the call and wait in line for you, then call you when they reach an agent.

I have to admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After being stuck on a complicated dependent situation with my mother (she gets disability AND pension income), I decided to try it despite my skepticism. The service actually worked exactly as described - they called me back after about 45 minutes and connected me with a real IRS agent who answered all my specific questions about the income limits for qualifying relatives. The agent confirmed that certain types of income don't count toward the gross income test and helped me understand how to document the support test properly. Saved me from making a mistake that could have triggered an audit. Sometimes being wrong feels pretty good!

One thing nobody's mentioned - don't forget about the possibility of taking the "Credit for Other Dependents" instead of just the dependent exemption. It's worth up to $500 per qualifying dependent. So even if you claim your parent, look into whether you qualify for this additional credit too.

Has anyone used TurboTax for claiming a parent? I tried last year and it kept asking me really confusing questions about my mom's income that I wasn't sure how to answer.

I went through this exact situation with my elderly father last year and can confirm what others have said about the qualifying relative rules. The key thing that helped me was keeping detailed records throughout the year of ALL expenses. I created a simple spreadsheet with categories: housing (rent/mortgage portion for his room, utilities), food (groceries and dining out), medical (co-pays, medications, doctor visits), transportation, clothing, and personal care items. At year-end, I compared what I spent versus what he spent from his Social Security. One tip - don't forget to include the fair market value of housing. If your mom lived independently, she'd pay rent somewhere. That "rent" you're providing counts as support even if your actual housing costs are lower. I used local rental prices for a similar room/apartment to calculate this. Also keep copies of her SSA-1099 and any other income documents. Social Security is usually not taxable income unless she has other significant income sources, so you'll likely meet the income test easily. The documentation will be important if the IRS ever questions your dependent claim.