Can I claim myself as a dependent on my tax return at 19 years old?

So I'm 19 this year and trying to figure out my filing situation. I've been working part-time while going to college and basically supporting myself for more than half the year (paying my own bills, food, etc.). When I was setting up my tax software, it asked if someone could claim me as a dependent and I wasn't sure how to answer. Can I claim myself as a dependent on my own tax return? I'm confused because I thought dependents were people you support, not yourself. Also, my younger brother (17) has been living with me since our parents kicked him out. He only made about $4,200 from his weekend job this year. Could I claim him as my dependent? The tax software is showing I'd get like a $2,500 credit if I can claim a dependent, which would really help with tuition next semester.

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18 comments

Natasha Romanova

•8M

You can't technically "claim yourself as a dependent" - that's not how tax filing works. What you're actually doing is claiming your own personal exemption by filing your own return. The real question is whether someone else (like your parents) can claim you. Based on what you've shared, if you provided more than 50% of your own support and you're a full-time student, your parents might still be able to claim you as a dependent if you're under 24. However, if you truly provided more than half your own support, then they cannot claim you, and you would file your own return claiming your personal exemption. For your brother, you might be able to claim him if: 1) He lived with you for more than half the year, 2) You provided more than half his support, 3) He earned less than the dependent income threshold (which his $4,200 would be under), and 4) He's not claimed by your parents or filing a joint return. The fact that he's your sibling means he could qualify as your "qualifying relative.

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Natasha Romanova

•8M

The support test is just one factor. For full-time students under 24 (which OP appears to be), parents can claim them as a "qualifying child" dependent if they provide more than half their support. If OP truly provides more than half their own support, then parents cannot claim them. For the brother situation, the support test is definitely one of the main requirements. OP would need to have provided more than half of the brother's total support for the year to claim him as a qualifying relative.

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Javier Gomez

•8M

I had a similar situation last year and found that taxr.ai was super helpful for figuring out the dependency rules. I was confused about whether I could claim my sister or not, and the regular tax software kept giving me confusing results. I uploaded my documents to https://taxr.ai and it actually explained the whole dependent situation in a way that made sense. It pointed out that I was meeting all the tests for claiming my sister except one that I hadn't considered.

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Javier Gomez

•8M

For claiming dependents, you upload your documents and it analyzes the situation based on the IRS rules. In my case, it flagged that I needed to document how much I was contributing to my sister's support to prove it was over 50%. This made a big difference because I hadn't been tracking those expenses properly. As for comparing to regular tax software, the main difference I found was that it explained WHY certain rules applied to my specific situation rather than just asking yes/no questions. It helped me understand the dependent rules so I could make better decisions about my filing status.

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Emma Wilson

•8M

Just wanted to update - I tried taxr.ai after asking about it here and wow, it actually cleared up my dependent confusion completely! I uploaded my stuff and it walked me through the five tests for claiming a dependent (relationship, gross income, support, etc). Turns out I CAN claim my cousin because she lived with me the whole year and I pay all the bills, but I needed to document the support I provided. It even generated a support worksheet I can keep for my records in case of an audit. Definitely worth checking out if you're in a complicated dependent situation.

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Isabella Oliveira

•8M

If you need to talk to the IRS about your specific dependent situation, good luck getting through to them directly. I spent DAYS trying to reach someone last year when I had questions about claiming my nephew. I finally found 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 It was honestly a game changer because the agent walked me through all the qualification tests for claiming my nephew and confirmed exactly what documentation I needed to keep. Much better than guessing or relying on random internet advice.

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Isabella Oliveira

•8M

It uses an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and holds your place in line. You only get connected when an actual agent is ready to talk. I think they use some algorithm to determine the best times to call based on wait data. There's no magic to it - you still might wait a bit depending on IRS volume, but the system does all the waiting for you. You just get a call when an agent is ready. It saved me from having to sit on hold for hours, which was impossible with my work schedule.

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Malik Thomas

•8M

Ok I have to apologize for being skeptical. I was in the same boat trying to figure out if I could claim my brother who moved in with me, and kept getting different answers from online forums. I tried the Claimyr service and actually got through to someone at the IRS in about 40 minutes (instead of the 3+ hours I spent trying before and never reaching anyone). The agent confirmed exactly what documents I needed to prove I was providing more than half his support. They even told me about a form I hadn't known about for qualifying relatives. Definitely worth it just for the peace of mind of having official answers.

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Freya Larsen

•8M

Just to clarify some confusion I see in this thread: When you file taxes, you're not "claiming yourself as a dependent." You're either filing as someone who CAN be claimed as a dependent or as someone who CANNOT be claimed as a dependent. The difference affects which tax credits you can claim. If you can be claimed as someone else's dependent (even if they don't actually claim you), you can't claim certain credits like the Recovery Rebate Credit. For claiming your brother: Since he's your sibling, you need to meet the qualifying relative tests, not the qualifying child tests. The main tests are: 1) You provided more than half his support, 2) His income was less than $4,950 (for 2023), 3) He lived with you all year, and 4) He's not filing a joint return.

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Freya Larsen

•8M

That's exactly right. You would check the box indicating that no one else can claim you as a dependent on their return. This is different from "claiming yourself as a dependent" which isn't a thing. Then separately, you would list your brother as your dependent if you meet all the qualifying relative tests. Make sure you have documentation showing you provided more than half his support - things like receipts for rent, utilities, food, clothing, medical expenses, etc. This is especially important since claiming siblings is something the IRS sometimes looks at more closely.

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Natasha Romanova

•8M

You're right! A sibling can be a qualifying child if they're under 19 (or 24 if a student), they lived with you for more than half the year, they didn't provide more than half of their own support, and they meet the other tests. The benefit of qualifying child vs. qualifying relative is that there's no income limit for a qualifying child. So even if OP's brother made more than $4,950, they might still be able to claim him as a dependent under the qualifying child rules.

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