Form 8814 eligibility question - can parents claim child's interest income if student for 5+ months but not in December?

So to clarify - even though she was a full-time student for 5 months in 2024, since she wasn't enrolled in December, the only way I could use Form 8814 is if she's under 19 at the end of the year? She's turning 22 in November, so I guess that means she doesn't qualify and will need to file her own return?

That's correct. For Form 8814 eligibility, what matters is your child's status on December 31, 2024. Since she'll be 22 and not a student on that date, she doesn't qualify for the election to report her income on your return. She'll need to file her own tax return to report the $2,300 interest income. The 5-month student rule is relevant for determining dependent status, but for Form 8814, the IRS specifically looks at age and student status at the end of the tax year. The form is designed for younger children or current students under 24, not recent graduates.

Does this service actually work with specific forms like 8814? I've tried tax software before but they usually just have generic advice, not specific form guidance.

I'm skeptical about tax tools - do they actually know these specific student status rules? The IRS publications are so confusing about when student status matters.

Yes, it definitely works with specific forms like Form 8814. It's not like regular tax software - it actually analyzes the specific rules and requirements for each form and gives you detailed guidance. I uploaded my son's student transcript and my draft tax info, and it pointed out exactly why Form 8814 wouldn't work in our case. For student status rules, that's actually one of its strengths. It clearly explains the difference between the 5-month rule for dependent status versus the "end of year" requirement for Form 8814. It even flagged that my son qualified as my dependent even though I couldn't use Form 8814 for his income.

How does this actually work? I'm confused how a third party service can get you through to the IRS faster. Doesn't everyone have to wait in the same queue?

I call BS on this. There's no way to "skip the line" with the IRS. This sounds like a scam to make money off desperate people trying to get tax help. The IRS phone system is deliberately understaffed.

It's not about skipping the line - they have an automated system that keeps redialing and navigating the phone tree for you, so you don't have to stay on hold. Their system waits in the queue instead of you having to do it personally. When an actual IRS agent comes on the line, then Claimyr connects you. They basically handle the tedious part (waiting on hold, navigating menus, dealing with disconnects) while you go about your day. When an agent is ready to talk, you get a call to connect with them. It's completely legitimate and doesn't involve any special access - just technology that handles the waiting process for you.

That's a really good point I hadn't considered! So even though she has to file her own return for the interest income, I can still claim her as a dependent if she meets the other tests? She definitely meets the support test - she just graduated last May and moved back home, and I'm covering most of her expenses while she's job hunting.

Exactly! The 5-month student rule applies to dependent status, and since she was a full-time student for at least 5 months during 2024, she can be your dependent if she meets the other tests. The support test is key - if you're providing more than half her total support for the year, you can claim her. Being a dependent will affect how she files her own return though - she'll need to check the box indicating someone else can claim her as a dependent, which affects her standard deduction for her own filing.

This is a really good point. Last year my son had about $1,800 in dividends from some stocks his grandpa gifted him, and I ran the numbers both ways. It was definitely cheaper for him to file his own return since his tax rate was effectively zero, while adding it to my income pushed some of it into my 22% bracket!

Exactly! The convenience of Form 8814 often comes with a stealth tax increase. I found for my daughter's case, we saved nearly $400 by having her file her own return instead of using Form 8814. The kiddie tax rules still apply either way, but there's usually still a benefit to filing separately. The only hassle is the extra paperwork, but for a few hundred dollars in savings, it's worth the 20 minutes it takes to file a simple return for a kid with just interest or dividend income.