How can I stop my parents from claiming me as a dependent on their taxes?

You're right to be concerned about this situation. The key factor here isn't where you live, but rather who provides more than half of your support throughout the year. This is called the "support test" for dependency. Since you're a full-time student under 24, you could potentially qualify as a dependent, but only if someone else provides more than half your total support. Support includes housing, food, clothing, education, medical expenses, transportation, and other necessities. My suggestion would be to create a "support worksheet" listing all your annual expenses and who pays for what. Include estimated values for rent ($175 × 52 weeks = $9,100/year), all groceries, utilities, tuition, books, car expenses, insurance, clothing, etc. This will give you a clear picture of whether you truly provide more than half your own support. Going forward, I'd recommend paying rent with something traceable - Venmo, check, or bank transfer - anything that creates a record. Even a simple signed receipt each month would help. If you find you provide more than half your support, you should file your return claiming yourself. The IRS may flag the duplicate claim, and both returns may be audited, but your worksheet will help support your position.

I was in a similar situation last year with my complicated family tax situation. I found this site called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really helped me figure out my dependency status. They analyzed my specific situation and helped me understand exactly who could claim me based on the IRS rules. You upload your documents and they break down all the support tests and requirements. In my case, they showed me that even though I lived with my dad, my mom couldn't claim me because I provided more than half my support overall. The dependency rules are really specific and the support test calculations can get confusing. What I liked is they gave me a detailed report I could use if the IRS ever questioned my filing status. That gave me peace of mind to confidently file my own return.

Just wanted to update that I ended up using taxr.ai after posting my question here. It was extremely helpful for my situation! The site helped me calculate that I actually provide about 68% of my own support when I included everything (even with my mom paying tuition). The detailed support worksheet was exactly what I needed. It showed that my rent, groceries, car expenses, and other costs I pay myself add up to way more than what my parents contribute. I was able to use this to talk to my parents with actual numbers rather than just arguing about it. My dad was still skeptical but changed his mind when I showed him the IRS guidelines the site provided. Now I'm filing my own return and claiming my education credits myself! They also gave me tips on how to document everything better for next year so I won't have this problem again.

My sister went through something similar with our parents. We couldn't reach anyone at the IRS for weeks to get clarification. Then she found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got her through to an actual IRS agent in under 20 minutes. They have this demo video that explains how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent was able to explain exactly what documentation she needed to prove she was providing her own support and couldn't be claimed as a dependent. It saved her from making a costly mistake on her taxes. The agent even sent her an official document explaining the support test that she could show our parents. Before that, she was on hold for literally hours trying to reach someone at the IRS directly. This service basically holds your place in line and calls you when an agent is about to answer.

I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I had my own tax questions that I'd been avoiding dealing with. It actually worked exactly as advertised. I got a call back in about 35 minutes, and was connected to an IRS representative who answered all my questions about dependency status. They confirmed that as a student who provides more than half of my own support, I couldn't be claimed as a dependent regardless of what my parents wanted. The agent even explained that in case of conflicting returns, the IRS would request documentation from both parties and make a determination based on the evidence. She suggested keeping a support worksheet (like others mentioned here) and said bank statements showing regular cash withdrawals would be considered supporting evidence for rent payments. Definitely worth it instead of spending half a day on hold!

Have you considered just talking to your parents directly about this? My son and I had a similar issue last year. We sat down together, looked at the IRS rules (Publication 501 has all the tests for dependency), and worked out who could actually claim him. The support test is really what matters here. If you truly provide more than 50% of your own support, your parents CAN'T legally claim you, regardless of what they want. And if you file first claiming yourself, they'll get rejected when they try to e-file with you as a dependent. I'd suggest having a calm conversation showing them the actual numbers - how much you earn, how much you spend on yourself (including that rent), and compare it to what they provide.

Has anyone mentioned the education credits yet? One big reason parents fight over claiming college students is because of the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit. These can be worth up to $2,500 in tax benefits. If you're not claimed as a dependent, YOU can claim these credits for the tuition YOU paid. But if someone else paid your tuition (like your mom), they generally get to claim the credit even if you're not their dependent. This might be a compromise - if your mom wants the education credit for the tuition she paid, she can still get that without claiming you as a dependent. Then you can claim yourself, get your standard deduction, and potentially other credits you qualify for.

Actually, I need to clarify something about the education credits - there's some confusion in the thread. The education credits (American Opportunity Credit and Lifetime Learning Credit) can only be claimed by the person who claims the student as a dependent OR by the student themselves if they're not claimed as a dependent by anyone else. If your mom pays your tuition but you're not claimed as her dependent (because you provide more than half your own support), then YOU would be eligible to claim the education credits on your own return, not your mom. The IRS doesn't care who actually paid the tuition - they only care about the dependency status when determining who can claim the credits. This is actually another reason why it's important to get your dependency status correct. If you truly provide more than half your own support, you should claim yourself AND you'll be eligible for the education credits worth up to $2,500. That's a significant tax benefit that you'd lose if your parents incorrectly claim you as a dependent. I'd recommend looking at IRS Publication 970 for the specific rules on education credits, in addition to Publication 501 for dependency tests that others have mentioned.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the timing aspect of all this. Since you're working 30 hours a week and paying your own expenses, you might want to consider opening a separate checking account specifically for documenting your support payments going forward. This would create a clear paper trail for future tax years. For this year, even though you paid rent in cash, you can still build a strong case. The IRS accepts reasonable estimates backed by evidence. Your regular bank withdrawals that align with your rent payments, combined with your documented grocery purchases and insurance payments, paint a clear picture of self-support. Also, don't forget to include the fair market value of room and board when calculating total support. If your dad would charge a stranger $175/week for that room, that's legitimate support you're providing for yourself - about $9,100 annually. When you add your groceries, car expenses, insurance, and other personal costs, you'll likely find you're well over the 50% threshold for self-support. The key is being thorough and honest in your calculations. The IRS wants to see that you've made a good-faith effort to determine the correct filing status based on actual facts, not just family preferences.

I've been following this thread and want to add some practical advice from my experience working in tax preparation. The support test calculations can seem overwhelming, but there's a systematic way to approach this. Create a simple monthly budget tracking sheet with two columns: "I pay" and "Parents pay." Include everything - rent, utilities (your estimated share), food, transportation, insurance, medical, education, clothing, entertainment, phone, etc. Multiply by 12 for annual totals. For your situation with cash rent payments, the IRS Publication 17 specifically mentions that you can use "reasonable estimates" when exact records aren't available. Your regular ATM withdrawals that match your rent amount, combined with a simple written statement from your dad acknowledging the arrangement, would be considered reasonable documentation. One often overlooked factor: if you're paying your dad $175/week for rent, that's actually market-rate documentation that you're providing your own housing support. Most parents charging a dependent child would charge much less or nothing at all. Also, don't forget that any financial aid or scholarships you receive don't count as support from your parents - they count as support you provided for yourself. This can significantly tip the scales in your favor. The bottom line: if your calculations show you provide more than 50% of your total support, file your return claiming yourself. The education credits alone could be worth $2,500, which likely exceeds any benefit your parents would get from claiming you.