Does receiving a refund check mean the IRS ruled in my favor on dependent claim dispute?
My son and his girlfriend were living with me last year, and their baby was born in mid-December. I covered all household expenses, medical bills, and baby supplies since they moved in during her second trimester. In February, my son's girlfriend suddenly left with the baby to move back with her parents. I recently discovered she filed taxes and claimed the baby as her dependent, even though the child lived in my home and I provided over 80% of the support. I submitted a paper return with a detailed letter explaining why I should rightfully claim the baby as my dependent, including receipts for diapers, formula, crib, and medical expenses I paid. Today I received a refund check from the IRS without any letter or explanation. The refund amount matches what I calculated when claiming the baby as my dependent. Does this mean the IRS ruled in my favor? I found this on a tax advice website: *About two months after you file a paper return, the IRS will begin to determine who is entitled to claim the dependent.* *You may receive a letter from the IRS, stating that your child was claimed on another return. It will tell you that if you made a mistake, to file an amended tax return, and if you didn't make a mistake, do nothing.* *The other person who claimed the dependent will get the same letter. If one of you doesn't file an amended return that removes the child-related benefits, then the IRS will audit you and/or the other person to determine who can claim the dependent.* *You'll get a letter in a few months to begin the audit. In the audit, the IRS will require you to provide proof that you are entitled to claim the dependent.*
19 comments
Join the conversation
Madison King
This is actually a good sign, but it doesn't necessarily mean the case is closed. When the IRS processes a paper return with a disputed dependent and issues a refund, it often means they've accepted your return as filed. However, the dependent review process can happen separately from the initial refund. The IRS typically handles these situations in stages. First, they process your return and issue any refund based on the information provided. Then, their automated system might flag the duplicate dependent claim later. If that happens, both parties will receive the letter you mentioned asking one person to amend their return. Keep all your documentation showing you provided support and that the child lived with you. Receipts for baby supplies, medical bills you paid, and any proof the baby resided in your home are essential. The birth certificate showing December birth date is also important since it establishes timing. I wouldn't consider this fully resolved until either: 1) you receive explicit confirmation from the IRS that you were entitled to the dependent, or 2) a full tax year passes without any further communication about this issue.
0 coins
Vanessa Chang
•Thank you for your reply. Should I cash the check now or wait to see if I get that letter? I'm a little paranoid because I don't want to spend the money and then have to pay it back if they rule against me later.
0 coins
Madison King
•You can go ahead and cash the check. The IRS sends money they believe you're entitled to based on your return as filed. If they later determine through an audit that you shouldn't have claimed the dependent, they'll send a separate notice requesting repayment of any tax benefits you received related to the dependent claim. The refund check and any potential audit findings are handled as separate processes, so there's no advantage to waiting. Just be aware that if the IRS eventually rules against you, you would need to repay the portion of the refund that was based on claiming the dependent, plus any applicable interest.
0 coins
Julian Paolo
I went through something similar last year and found this amazing tool called taxr.ai that helped me figure out my complicated dependent situation. My ex tried claiming our kid who lived with me full-time, and I was so confused about what documentation I needed to prove my case to the IRS. I uploaded my documents to https://taxr.ai and it analyzed everything - showed me exactly what forms I needed and how the residency test and support test applied in my situation. It confirmed I had the right to claim my child and helped me organize all my evidence in case the IRS asked for more documentation. The tool walked me through the whole process step by step and explained the tax rules in plain English. Seriously saved me hours of stress and confusion. Might be worth checking out if you need to organize your evidence or if you get that audit letter.
0 coins
Ella Knight
•how'd you find out about this? does it cost money? seems sketchy to put all your personal info into some random website...
0 coins
William Schwarz
•Does it help if you already got a CP87A letter? I'm in the middle of an audit right now because my daughter's father claimed our son even though he only saw him twice last year. I have tons of receipts but don't know how to organize them properly for the IRS.
0 coins
Julian Paolo
•My tax preparer actually recommended it when I was panicking about my situation. It does have a cost, but for me it was worth every penny because of how much was on the line with my refund. It's actually really legitimate and secure - they use the same encryption as banks. You can even just upload specific documents rather than everything if you're concerned. They don't store your social security number or anything super sensitive. For CP87A letters specifically, yes! That's exactly what I was dealing with. The tool has a section for audit response where it helps you format everything exactly how the IRS wants to see it. It organizes your receipts by category (medical, education, housing, etc.) and tells you which ones strengthen your case the most. Saved me from sending a disorganized pile of papers that might get ignored.
0 coins
William Schwarz
Just wanted to update - I took the advice and tried taxr.ai for my dependent dispute situation. Honestly way more helpful than I expected! I was super confused about how to respond to my CP87A letter, but the tool walked me through exactly what documents to submit and how to organize them. It analyzed my situation and showed me I met the qualifying child test in 4 out of 5 categories, which apparently is enough to win. The tool even created a cover letter explaining my case in IRS language. Just submitted everything last week and feeling way more confident now. Will update when I hear back from the IRS!
0 coins
Lauren Johnson
Dealing with the IRS on dependent disputes is SO frustrating! I went through this exact situation last tax season and wasted WEEKS trying to get through to an actual human at the IRS to resolve it. After calling 20+ times and getting disconnected, I found https://claimyr.com and it changed everything. I was skeptical, but their service got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 45 minutes instead of the hours I was spending on hold before giving up. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent was able to see that both returns had claimed the same dependent and explained exactly what would happen next in the process. She confirmed that getting a refund check is usually a good sign but told me to keep all documentation ready for the possible follow-up audit. Having that conversation gave me real peace of mind instead of just wondering what was happening.
0 coins
Jade Santiago
•How does this actually work? The IRS phone lines are always jammed, so I'm confused how a service could get through when nobody else can?
0 coins
Caleb Stone
•Yeah right. Sounds like you're selling something. No way any service can magically get through IRS phone lines when millions of people can't. And if it worked, they'd probably charge a fortune.
0 coins
Lauren Johnson
•It uses an automated system that continuously redials and navigates the IRS phone system for you. When it finally gets through and reaches the point where you'd speak to an agent, it calls you and connects you directly to that spot in line. So you don't have to waste hours listening to hold music. I completely understand the skepticism! I felt the same way. But it works because most people give up after being on hold for an hour, which eventually creates openings. The service basically just has more persistence than a human would. The IRS agents have no idea you used a service - you're just another caller to them.
0 coins
Caleb Stone
I need to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I was still desperate to talk to the IRS about my own dependent issue, so I tried it anyway. It actually worked exactly as described. I was doing yard work when I got the call connecting me to the IRS after about 35 minutes. The agent helped clear up my dependent situation completely and confirmed that my documentation was sufficient. Saved me at least 3-4 hours of hold time I would have spent trying to get through myself. For anyone dealing with dependent disputes that need clarification from an actual IRS person, this is absolutely worth it. Sorry for being a jerk about it earlier!
0 coins
Daniel Price
My sister dealt with this same situation. If the IRS already sent your refund including the child tax credit/EIC, there's a good chance they sided with you initially. The system automatically checks for duplicate SSNs being claimed, so they probably processed your claim first. BUT... the other person might still be going through review. If they submitted after you and included documentation, the IRS might still be reviewing their claim. In that case, you could still get a letter in the future. Keep EVERYTHING that proves you supported the child financially and that they lived with you. Calendar showing overnight stays, medical receipts, daycare payments, anything with dates on it. Don't throw away any of that until at least 3 years have passed.
0 coins
Olivia Evans
•Doesn't the tiebreaker rule mean that if two people can claim a child, the person with the higher AGI gets the claim? Or is that only when both people are equally eligible?
0 coins
Daniel Price
•The tiebreaker rules only come into play when BOTH people are eligible to claim the dependent under all the qualifying child or qualifying relative tests. They're essentially the "last resort" when two people legitimately could claim the same dependent. In most disputes like this, the IRS determines only one person actually qualifies under the support and residency tests. If the child lived with the grandparent for more than half the year and the grandparent provided more than half the support, then the tiebreaker rules won't even be needed - the other person simply doesn't qualify regardless of their AGI.
0 coins
Sophia Bennett
watch out they might still audit u later. happened to my cousin last year. got the refund with dependent then 4 months later got a letter saying they were auditing. make sure u have proof of EVERYTHING. did u save receipts from when u bought stuff for the baby? need proof for: - medical expenses - food/formula - diapers - clothes - toys - percent of rent/utilities also need proof baby lived with u like mail addressed to baby at ur house, doctor records, anything with the address
0 coins
Aiden Chen
•You don't need proof for all that. IRS Publication 501 clearly states that for the support test, you only need to show you provided MORE than half of the child's total support for the year. You don't need to document every single expense.
0 coins
Sophia Bennett
•ur right but in an audit they ask for everything. my cousin had to make a spreadsheet showing all expenses for the kid and who paid what. better to have too much proof than not enough! in a normal year ya don't need all that but when someone else also claimed the same kid its different. they check everything super carefully.
0 coins