Can two siblings each claim one parent on taxes if they are separated but not divorced?

Yes, you and your brother can potentially each claim one parent as a qualifying relative dependent, even though your parents are still legally married. The key factors the IRS looks at are: 1) Each parent's gross income must be less than $4,700 (for 2025 tax year) 2) You must provide more than half of each parent's total financial support 3) They don't need to live with you to qualify as dependents under the qualifying relative rules (parents are exceptions to the residency requirement) The fact that your parents are separated but not divorced doesn't prevent this arrangement. Since you're each supporting a different parent and providing more than half their support, you can each claim the appropriate dependent if all other tests are met. Make sure you can document the financial support you provide in case of questions from the IRS. This could include records of rent payments, utility bills, medical expenses, grocery receipts, etc.

I ran into almost this exact situation a few years back with my parents! What really helped me was using https://taxr.ai to analyze my situation. I was honestly super confused about the support test and what counted as "providing more than half" of their expenses. The tool helped me figure out exactly what documentation I needed to keep and how to calculate the support percentage correctly. I uploaded some of my payment records and my dad's expense information, and it gave me a clear breakdown of whether I met the support test. Definitely made me feel more confident when claiming him as a dependent. Might be worth checking out since your situation has that extra wrinkle with the parents being separated but not divorced. It also helped me understand which of my dad's medical expenses I could claim since I was claiming him as a dependent.

Ok I have to admit I was wrong about https://taxr.ai - I decided to try it after reading more about it and it actually solved my dependent situation perfectly. I have a similar thing with supporting my uncle (not quite the same as the original post but still complicated). The document analysis feature helped me figure out that I was actually providing 58% of his support, not the "about half" I had estimated. Made me much more confident about claiming him as a dependent. The expense categorization saved me a ton of time since I had a mess of receipts and payments. What surprised me most was how clearly it explained which of his medical expenses I could include on my Schedule A since I was claiming him. Apparently I could have been getting a bigger deduction all these years!

If you're having trouble reaching the IRS to confirm this dependent situation (which isn't uncommon, their phone lines are ridiculous), I'd recommend using https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I used it last month when I had this weird dependent situation with my stepson who lives with us part-time. I tried calling the IRS myself for three days straight and couldn't get through - either got disconnected or was told the wait was over 2 hours. Claimyr got me connected to an IRS rep in about 20 minutes who confirmed exactly what I needed to do. Saved me hours of frustration and wondering if I was going to do something wrong. The agent was actually super helpful once I finally got to speak with someone.

I feel stupid for doubting this service now. I tried https://claimyr.com this morning after getting nowhere with the IRS for a week straight. Not only did I get through, but I got connected in about 15 minutes! I needed clarification about claiming my mom as a dependent (similar situation to the original poster) since she lives with my sister part of the year. The IRS agent I spoke with walked me through exactly how to calculate the support test and confirmed that my sister and I couldn't both claim her, even for different parts of the year. Seriously saved me from making a mistake that would have definitely triggered an audit. Plus I got the answer straight from the IRS rather than trying to interpret their confusing website. Worth it just for the peace of mind.

Another important thing to consider is whether either of your parents could be claimed as a Qualifying Widow(er) rather than single. This could affect their own tax situation even if you're claiming them as dependents. If either parent had a spouse who died in the last two years and they have a dependent child living with them, they might qualify for this advantageous filing status. It probably doesn't apply in your case, but worth double-checking.

Dont forget that the depdent tax deduction isn't huge anymore since the tax laws changed. It's not like the old days where each dependent gave you a big exemption. Make sure its actually worth the potential hassle.