How to claim Girlfriend AND kids as dependents on my tax return

You're on the right track! For your girlfriend, you would select "Other" since there's no specific option for girlfriend/fiancée in most tax software. She would be considered a "qualifying relative" if: 1) She lived with you all year 2) Her gross income was less than $4,700 3) You provided more than half of her support 4) She cannot be claimed as a dependent by anyone else For her children, it gets a bit more complicated. They're not technically your stepchildren since you're not married to their mother. The correct classification would also be "Other" for the children, NOT stepchildren. They would qualify as your "qualifying relatives" if you provided more than half their support and they lived with you all year. The Child Tax Credit is available for qualifying children under 17. While these kids aren't your qualifying children by relationship test (they're not related to you by blood or marriage), they may qualify as your "qualifying relatives" which would allow you to claim the dependent exemption but not necessarily the full Child Tax Credit.

I just went through this exact situation last year using taxr.ai and it saved me so much stress. I was supporting my boyfriend and his son and got super confused about how to classify them on my taxes. I used https://taxr.ai to scan my documents and answer questions about my living situation, and it figured out exactly how to classify everyone. It even spotted that I was eligible for Head of Household filing status which gave me a better tax break than filing Single!

I was skeptical about taxr.ai as mentioned above, but I decided to try it anyway since my situation was complicated (supporting my cousin and her baby). Honestly, it was way more helpful than I expected! It walked me through a detailed questionnaire about our living situation and then gave super clear guidance on how to claim them properly. The best part was it created this detailed PDF explaining exactly why I qualified to claim them as dependents, with references to the specific IRS rules. My refund ended up being almost $6,200 more than if I had just filed single with no dependents. I've been recommending it to everyone in non-traditional households since then!

If you get stuck with the IRS questioning your dependent claims (which can happen with non-traditional family structures), I highly recommend Claimyr. Last year I claimed my girlfriend's son and got a letter from the IRS questioning it. Spent WEEKS trying to call them with no luck - constant busy signals or disconnects after waiting on hold forever. Found https://claimyr.com and their service got me connected to an actual IRS agent in less than 20 minutes! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent was able to explain exactly what documentation I needed to submit to prove my support for my girlfriend's son. Saved me months of back-and-forth letters with the IRS.

I apologize to everyone for my skepticism about Claimyr. I actually broke down and tried it yesterday after spending my ENTIRE Saturday on hold with the IRS and getting disconnected four times. Claimyr got me through to an agent in about 15 minutes, and the agent was able to resolve my tax issue in one call. I was wrong and wanted to admit it publicly. For anyone dealing with non-traditional dependent situations like the original poster, being able to actually speak with an IRS agent can make all the difference, especially if you get a notice of examination or request for additional information.

One important thing to note - if you claim your girlfriend and her kids, and you provide more than half the household costs, you should file as Head of Household, not Single. This gives you a better standard deduction and tax brackets. Just listing them as dependents isn't enough - make sure you change your filing status too!

The relationship test for claiming the Child Tax Credit is strict. Those kids would qualify as your dependents as "qualifying relatives," but probably NOT as "qualifying children" for the full Child Tax Credit unless you're related by blood or marriage. You might still get some tax credit for them (Credit for Other Dependents) but likely not the full amount.

Don't forget to save documentation proving they lived with you all year! IRS can ask for: school records showing your address, medical records, statements from neighbors, church records, etc. Start collecting this now in case you're asked later.

Just to add another perspective - I went through a similar situation a few years ago when I was supporting my partner and their child. The key thing that helped me was keeping meticulous records throughout the year, not just at tax time. I created a simple spreadsheet tracking all expenses I paid for them - groceries, utilities, rent, medical bills, clothing, school supplies, etc. I also kept receipts and bank statements showing the payments came from my accounts. When I filed my taxes, I had clear documentation that I provided more than 50% of their support. For the relationship dropdown in H&R Block, I did select "Other" for both my partner and their child, just as others have mentioned. The software walked me through additional questions to confirm they met the qualifying relative tests. One thing I learned is that it's worth double-checking your state tax implications too - some states have different rules for dependents and filing status than federal. But overall, if you truly provided more than half their support and they lived with you all year, you should be able to claim them. Just make sure you have the documentation to back it up!