Can I claim my siblings as dependents at 16 years old?

You're in a tough situation and showing a lot of maturity by thinking this through. While the IRS doesn't have a specific minimum age requirement for claiming dependents, there are several factors that make this complicated in your case. To claim your siblings as qualifying children, they must: 1) be related to you, 2) live with you, 3) be younger than you, 4) not provide more than half their own support, and 5) meet citizenship requirements. The relationship test is met since they're your siblings, and it sounds like they meet the age and support tests too. However, there's another important rule: you cannot be claimed as someone else's dependent. At 16, you might still qualify as your mother's dependent even if she doesn't file taxes. The IRS doesn't require her to actually claim you - just that you could potentially be claimed. For your specific situation, I'd recommend visiting a VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) site. They provide free tax preparation for qualifying taxpayers and can help navigate your unique circumstances. You can find locations at irs.gov/vita or by calling 800-906-9887.

I had a similar complicated tax situation and was completely lost until I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). After trying several online forums where I got conflicting advice, I uploaded my documents there and got clarity on my unusual dependent situation. For complicated dependent questions like yours, their system analyzes all the IRS tests and tells you exactly which ones you pass or fail. It was really helpful because my situation didn't fit neatly into typical tax software questions either. The best part was getting a clear explanation about the support test calculation, which seems relevant to your situation too. It helped me understand exactly how to calculate whether I was providing more than half of someone's support.

Just wanted to follow up - I actually tried taxr.ai after posting my question here. I was really surprised how helpful it was for my situation with claiming my adult disabled brother. It walked me through all five dependency tests and showed me exactly why I was getting rejected when I tried claiming him before (I hadn't documented that I provided over half his support correctly). The analysis was super detailed and showed me exactly what documentation I needed to keep for the support test. Definitely recommend it if you're in a complicated situation like the original poster. Saved me from making the same mistake for the third year in a row!

If you end up needing to talk directly with the IRS about your unique situation, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in a similar position last year with a complicated dependent question that online resources couldn't answer clearly, and I spent DAYS trying to get through to an actual IRS agent. After multiple failed attempts and hours on hold, I found Claimyr and their service called the IRS for me and held my place in line. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they wait on hold and call you when an actual agent is available. The IRS agent I spoke with was able to confirm exactly what documentation I needed for my unique situation.

I was wrong about Claimyr and owe an apology. After posting my skeptical comment, I was desperate enough to try it for my dependent situation that had been unresolved for months. Within 2 hours of using their service, I was talking to an actual IRS agent who resolved my issue in 15 minutes. It worked exactly as described - they waited on hold (which would have been 3+ hours), then called me when an agent was available. It was 100% legitimate and saved me from taking another day off work just to sit on hold. The agent was able to explain exactly why my dependent claim was getting flagged and how to fix it. Problem solved after months of frustration!

As someone who used to volunteer with VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance), I'd really encourage you to visit a VITA site for your situation. Look up "VITA free tax prep" and your city to find locations near you. Your case is complex and needs personal attention since it involves potential dependent claims as a minor. VITA volunteers are specially trained for situations like yours, particularly for lower-income families. They'll help determine if you can claim your siblings or if your mother should file even with only SSI income (sometimes filing is beneficial even without tax liability).

Just FYI - my cousin was in almost this exact situation (she was 17), and when she tried to claim her younger siblings, her return got flagged for review and was delayed by months. The IRS eventually allowed it after she submitted additional documentation, but it was a huge hassle. You might want to file on paper with a detailed explanation letter attached to avoid automatic rejections if you go this route.