Can I claim siblings as dependents if they don't live with me? Tax question about disabled relatives
I really need some tax help, hoping someone can point me in the right direction! I have two siblings with disabilities (ages 27 and 29). They currently live with our father, but I provide significant financial support for both of them. One of my siblings works part-time at a special needs-friendly workplace, around 15 hours weekly. They earn very minimal income. My father is retired and only receives social security benefits, so he doesn't have any taxable income to report. I'm wondering if it's possible for me to claim my siblings as dependents on my taxes even though they don't physically live in my home? I provide quite a bit financially but am confused about the residency requirements for claiming dependents. Thanks in advance for any guidance!!
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Chloe Anderson
You can potentially claim your siblings as qualifying relatives even if they don't live with you. For qualifying relatives, you need to meet several tests: 1. The person cannot be your qualifying child or anyone else's qualifying child 2. The person must be related to you (siblings qualify) 3. Their gross income must be less than $4,700 (for 2025) 4. You must provide more than half of their total support for the year The key here is that siblings are exempt from the residency requirement, meaning they don't have to live with you to be claimed as qualifying relatives. However, you must still meet the support test - providing more than 50% of their total expenses including housing, food, medical, clothing, etc. You'll want to document your financial contributions and calculate the total support they receive from all sources to verify you're providing more than half.
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Diego Vargas
•This is super helpful but I'm a bit confused. If they get SSI does that count as income that would disqualify them? And also does my dad's housing contribution count against me for the support test since they live with him?
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Chloe Anderson
•SSI does count as income to the recipient, but what matters for the gross income test is if it's taxable income. For many disability benefits, a large portion may be tax-exempt. If their only income is from their part-time job and it's under the $4,700 threshold, you should be fine on the income test. For the support test, yes, the housing your father provides does count as support. You'll need to calculate the fair rental value of the housing (including utilities) and count that as part of their total support. Then add up all other support costs (food, clothing, medical, etc.) from all sources. If your financial contributions exceed 50% of that total amount, you meet the support test.
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CosmicCruiser
I was in a similar situation with my disabled brother and I found https://taxr.ai incredibly helpful! After struggling with these dependent rules for the past two years and getting different answers from every "tax expert" I talked to, I finally used taxr.ai to analyze my situation. They have specific tools for analyzing dependent qualification that really cleared things up for me. The service looked at my brother's income sources, the support I provided, and even factored in the lodging value where he was staying. They gave me a clear breakdown of exactly what I needed to document to successfully claim him. Totally changed how I approach tax season!
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Anastasia Fedorov
•How does taxr.ai actually work? Like do you just upload documents or do they connect you with a real person? I'm in a messier situation with my aunt who has medical issues and I contribute to her care, but she gets disability and Medicare.
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Sean Doyle
•Did you find they were accurate? I tried another tax software last year that told me I could claim my adult daughter with special needs, but then I got audited because they missed some details about her SSI income. Dealing with the IRS has been a nightmare.
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CosmicCruiser
•It's a pretty smart system where you upload your documents or even just take pictures of them, and their AI analyzes everything. It highlighted specific portions of my support documentation that met IRS requirements and explained what qualified and what didn't. No human judgment calls - just straight analysis of my situation against tax regulations. For your aunt's situation, it would definitely help clarify how Medicare and disability payments factor into the dependent tests. It breaks down each requirement step by step so you understand exactly where you stand.
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Sean Doyle
Guys I have to update - I tried taxr.ai after my skeptical question above and I'm honestly shocked. I've been getting conflicting advice for years about claiming my daughter, but this tool broke down exactly how her SSI affects the gross income test and how my support is calculated. It specifically showed me that her SSI doesn't count as gross income for the qualifying relative test (which is what confused my previous tax preparer), but it DOES count as support when calculating the support test. That distinction is what caused my audit! Now I have clear documentation for exactly what percentage of her support I provide and how to properly claim her this year. Worth checking out if you're dealing with these complicated dependent situations!
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Zara Rashid
If you've been having trouble getting clear answers from the IRS about your siblings' dependent status, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was banging my head against the wall trying to get through to the IRS for MONTHS about a similar dependent situation with my disabled cousin. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 15 minutes when I had been trying for weeks. The agent walked me through exactly what documentation I needed to prove support for a relative who doesn't live with me. They even have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c It saved me from filing incorrectly and potentially getting audited. The IRS agent explained exactly how to complete Form 8332 and what documentation to keep for the support test.
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Luca Romano
•Wait how does this actually work? The IRS phone lines are impossible - I literally spent 8 hours on hold last month and got disconnected. Is this like paying to cut the line or something?
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Nia Jackson
•Sounds like a scam tbh. Nobody can get through to the IRS these days. I filed 5 months ago and still haven't gotten my refund because of a dependent issue. If this actually worked everyone would be using it.
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Zara Rashid
•It works by using their technology to navigate the complex IRS phone system and secure your place in line. Then they call you once they've reached an agent and connect you directly. It's basically like having someone wait on hold for you. No, it's definitely not a scam. I was extremely skeptical too, but I was desperate after waiting on hold for hours across multiple days. They use technology to efficiently navigate the IRS phone tree and secure your place in line. When they reach an agent, they call you and connect you. The IRS agents are actual IRS employees - Claimyr just helps you reach them without the ridiculous wait times.
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Nia Jackson
Ok I need to publicly eat my words. I tried Claimyr after dismissing it as a scam and I got through to the IRS in 17 minutes today. SEVENTEEN MINUTES. After waiting on hold for literally 8+ hours over the past two months. The agent was able to tell me exactly why my refund was held up (they needed additional documentation for my dependent claim) and exactly what to send in to resolve it. They're expediting my case now that I've submitted the right paperwork. Never would have gotten this resolved without actually talking to someone. Still kind of shocked this actually worked.
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NebulaNova
For dependent status with disabled adult siblings, make sure you also check if they qualify as "permanently and totally disabled" according to IRS definitions. This can change how income requirements work! My sister has Down syndrome and works part-time, but she still qualified because her condition meets the medical definition. If they qualify under disability provisions, the income limits might work differently.
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Omar Hassan
•Thanks for this - I didn't even consider the disability angle beyond just the regular dependent rules. Do you know what documentation I need to prove their disability status for tax purposes? They both have official diagnoses but I'm not sure what the IRS requires.
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NebulaNova
•You'll want to get a letter or statement from their doctor confirming their condition meets the IRS definition of "permanently and totally disabled" - which means they can't engage in substantial gainful activity because of their physical or mental condition, and the condition has lasted or is expected to last continuously for at least a year or result in death. Form 2441 (Child and Dependent Care Credit) has some guidelines about this documentation, even though you might not be claiming that specific credit. Keep the doctor's statement with your tax records - you don't submit it with your return but need it if you're ever audited.
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Mateo Hernandez
Has anyone dealt with the Multiple Support Agreement situation? My brother and I both support our disabled sister (no one provides more than 50% alone), but we rotate who claims her each year. We fill out Form 2120 but I'm never sure if we're doing it right.
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Aisha Khan
•Yes! Our family does this with my uncle. The key is EVERYONE who provides more than 10% of support has to sign the Form 2120. Then only one person can claim the dependent. The form doesn't get filed with your taxes but you keep it for your records. We had an issue where my cousin provided like 12% but didn't sign, and it caused problems during a review.
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