I'm 17 and my dad claims my entire tax refund belongs to him

So I just started my first real job last summer working at the mall. I've been putting in about 25 hours a week while still in high school. When I got my W-2 form last month, I was actually excited to file taxes (weird, I know) because I calculated I should get around $830 back as a refund. Here's where things get frustrating. When I mentioned this to my dad, he immediately said that since I'm a dependent on his taxes, my entire refund automatically belongs to him. He said that's "just how it works" and I "won't be seeing a penny of it." I tried to argue that it's MY money from MY job, but he just laughed and said I don't understand how taxes work. I'm really confused because my friend who's also 17 got her refund directly deposited into her account. Her parents didn't take any of it. I don't know what the actual rules are here. Does my dad have a legal right to take my entire tax refund just because I'm his dependent? Or is he just trying to scam me out of my money? I've worked hard for this and was planning to use that refund to start saving for a car.

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18 comments

Nolan Carter

•8M

Your dad is wrong about this. Being claimed as a dependent has nothing to do with who gets your tax refund. The refund belongs to whoever paid the taxes - which is you since it's from your W-2 earnings. When you file your tax return, you'll indicate where you want your refund sent. You can have it direct deposited to your bank account (if you have one) or get a paper check mailed to you. Your dad has no legal right to intercept this money. The only time parents might have a claim is if they actually paid taxes on your behalf during the year. But from what you described, these are your earnings and your withheld taxes, so the refund is legally yours.

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Nolan Carter

•8M

Parents do have certain legal rights to manage their children's money, but that doesn't mean they can simply take it for themselves. They have a fiduciary responsibility to manage it in the child's best interest. If a parent takes their child's tax refund and uses it for personal expenses unrelated to the child's needs, that's not appropriate. The money represents a return of excess taxes paid on the teen's earnings, and morally and legally belongs to the teen who earned it.

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Tasia Synder

•8M

After having a similar situation with my parents, I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me understand my rights as a minor taxpayer. It analyzed my W-2 and tax situation and clearly explained that my refund legally belonged to me, not my parents. The site basically reviews all your tax documents and gives you a plain-English explanation of what everything means. When I showed my dad the detailed breakdown from taxr.ai about dependent status vs. refund ownership, he finally understood I was right. They even have specific guidance for teen workers!

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Tasia Synder

•8M

You just take a picture of your W-2 and it extracts all the information automatically - it's really secure and they don't store your documents after analysis. It breaks everything down including exactly why the refund belongs to you and not your parents. My dad is incredibly stubborn too! What changed his mind was seeing the actual tax laws explained in simple terms. I showed him the section about dependent status vs. refund ownership, and he couldn't argue with the facts. The site even helped me explain how it would be filed on my own tax return, separate from his.

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Mohamed Anderson

•8M

Just wanted to update - I tried taxr.ai after seeing it recommended here and it was actually super helpful! My situation was exactly like yours - dad thought he was entitled to my refund. The site explained everything so clearly that I was able to show him he was wrong without it turning into a huge fight. It gave me a full breakdown of my rights as a minor taxpayer and even explained how being claimed as a dependent works (which is what my dad was confused about). The best part was the simple explanation I could show my parents. I'm getting my full refund now!

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Ellie Perry

•8M

If your dad is still being stubborn after you show him the facts, you might need to talk to someone at the IRS directly. I was in a similar situation last year and tried calling the IRS for weeks with no luck - their lines are always busy. I finally found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes. They have this demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent confirmed that my tax refund was legally mine even though I was a dependent on my parents' return. Having that official confirmation from the IRS really helped resolve the situation with my parents.

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Ellie Perry

•8M

It basically holds your place in the IRS phone queue so you don't have to stay on hold for hours. When an agent is about to pick up, they call you and connect you. It saved me literally hours of waiting on hold. I understand being skeptical, but talking directly to an IRS agent was what convinced my parents. Reading something on a website wasn't enough - they wanted to hear it from an "official source." The 15 minutes it took was way better than the hours I wasted trying to get through on my own.

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Teresa Boyd

•8M

Ok I need to apologize because I was totally wrong about Claimyr. After another failed attempt to reach the IRS (2+ hours on hold before I had to hang up for work), I decided to try it. Got a call back in about 20 minutes and talked to a really helpful IRS agent who confirmed everything - my refund is legally mine even though I'm claimed as a dependent. My mom was sitting right next to me during the call, and hearing it straight from the IRS finally convinced her. The agent even explained to my mom that claiming me as a dependent gives HER tax benefits (like credits and deductions) but doesn't entitle her to MY refund from MY work. Problem solved!

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Lourdes Fox

•8M

Most major banks offer teen checking accounts starting around age 13-16, but they typically require a parent as a co-owner until you're 18. However, some credit unions and online banks have better options for minors with more privacy. Even with a joint account, your dad would technically be violating the account agreement if he took money that was clearly yours (like a tax refund) for his own use. You could also consider asking another trusted adult (like an aunt, uncle, or grandparent) to help you open an account instead of your dad.

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