Can I claim myself as a dependent at 19 years old while in college?

8 This is so confusing. So if my parents pay for my tuition but I pay for my apartment and food with my own job money, does that mean they provide more than half my support? And what happens with my tax refund if they claim me vs if they don't?

6 To determine if you provide more than half your support, you need to calculate the total cost of your support for the year. This includes tuition, housing, food, medical expenses, clothing, etc. If the total value of what your parents contribute (including tuition) is more than what you pay yourself, then they provide more than half your support. Regarding your tax refund, it generally won't change dramatically whether your parents claim you or not. However, they might get education credits for your tuition if they claim you. If you file independently (not claimed as a dependent), you might qualify for certain credits yourself, like the American Opportunity Credit for education expenses if you paid them yourself.

14 How accurate is this tool? Does it give you actual tax advice or just general information? I'm wondering because my situation is complicated - my parents are divorced and I split time between both houses when I'm not at school.

19 I'm skeptical about these online tools. Did it actually save you money compared to just going to a regular tax place? I've heard horror stories about people missing out on deductions with DIY approaches.

11 The tool is very accurate - it uses the same dependency rules the IRS uses, asking specific questions about your situation rather than just general information. It would definitely handle divorced parents situations since it asks detailed questions about where you live throughout the year and who provides what support. It absolutely saved me money! I discovered I qualified for an education credit my parents couldn't claim that put an extra $1,500 in my pocket. The tool flagged it automatically based on my answers. Traditional tax places often miss these student-specific situations because they're rushing through so many clients.

8 Wait, they actually get you through to a real person at the IRS? How does that even work? I thought it was literally impossible to reach anyone there. Does this cost a ton of money?

19 This sounds like a scam. There's no way some random service can magically get through to the IRS when millions of people can't. What's the catch here? They probably just connect you to some fake "agent" who gives you generic advice.

17 Yes, they actually connect you to a real IRS agent! They use a combination of technology and timing to navigate the phone system more efficiently than an individual can. It works by having their system continuously call and navigate the IRS phone tree, then when they get a human, they connect that person to your phone. There's no catch - they're connecting you to the actual IRS, not some third-party advisor. I was skeptical too, but I verified I was speaking to a real IRS agent (they have employee IDs and can access your actual tax records). The service just handles the frustrating part of getting through the phone system.

8 Oh my gosh I think I made this exact mistake last year! I earned about $7,000 from my summer job and my campus job combined, and I thought that meant my parents couldn't claim me. But I was a full-time student... so does that mean they actually could have claimed me? Should we file an amendment?

22 You're right that you might have misunderstood the rules. For full-time students under 24, the income limit is much higher, and the $4,500 limit doesn't apply in the same way. Your parents likely could have claimed you if they provided more than half your support, regardless of your $7,000 earnings. Whether you should amend depends on several factors. First, check if your parents actually claimed you on their return last year. If they didn't, there might not be a conflict to resolve. If there is a discrepancy, you should consider amending if it would result in a meaningful tax benefit for your family overall. The lookback period for amendments is generally three years, so you have time to correct it if needed.

16 I used TurboTax last year for a similar situation (19, college student). Their questionnaire is decent but not great for more complicated situations. If your situation is straightforward, the free version will work, but they'll try to upsell you if you have education credits. Honestly, I'd recommend using the IRS Free File options instead - same questionnaire style but completely free. TurboTax charged me an extra $40 halfway through when I needed to add a form for my scholarship.