Need to file Form 8615 with parent's SSN - No contact with abusive parent - Do I even have to file this form?

You're right that you likely don't need to file Form 8615 based on the information you've provided. The key here is that you're 20 years old AND you provided more than half of your own support through earned income. That exempts you from the "kiddie tax" that Form 8615 is used for. The software is probably flagging this because you have unearned income over the threshold amount, but it's not considering your age and support situation correctly. Tax software sometimes gets overly cautious with these edge cases. I'd recommend you look for an override option in your software. Most tax programs have a way to skip a form if you indicate it doesn't apply to you. Look for something like "I don't need to file this form" or "This form doesn't apply to me." If you can't find an override option, you might need to calculate whether your scholarships actually count as unearned income. Only the portion of scholarships that exceeds qualified education expenses (tuition, books, supplies) is considered taxable income. If your scholarship funds were all used for qualified expenses, they wouldn't even count toward that $2,300 threshold.

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I was in a similar situation about 3 years ago. I ended up calling the IRS directly (this was before COVID when you could actually reach them). The agent told me that if you're financially independent and supporting yourself, you don't need to file Form 8615. The trick is understanding if your scholarships actually count as "unearned income" for this purpose. Did you use all of your scholarship money for qualified education expenses (tuition, books, required fees)? If so, then it's not taxable and doesn't count toward that $2,300 threshold. My tax software had the same issue - it saw "scholarship" and automatically flagged Form 8615, but once I properly categorized my scholarship as used for qualified expenses, the requirement went away.

Has anyone considered that OP might be confused about what "unearned income" means? Scholarships used for qualified expenses aren't taxable income at all. Only scholarships that exceed your education expenses or are used for room and board are taxable. It sounds like your scholarship was less than your tuition, so none of it should count as taxable unearned income. I think you're getting tripped up by the tax software.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this stressful situation, especially with the family complications involved. Based on what you've described, it sounds like you shouldn't need to file Form 8615 at all. You mentioned you're 20, worked full-time, and provided more than half of your own support. This is key - the "kiddie tax" that Form 8615 addresses doesn't apply to students who are financially independent. The fact that you paid your own rent, groceries, and utilities while working full-time clearly demonstrates you're supporting yourself. Additionally, since your $3,000 scholarship went entirely toward your $8,500 tuition (qualified education expenses), none of that scholarship money counts as taxable unearned income. The software is likely flagging this incorrectly. For your tax software issue, try these steps: 1. Double-check that you marked "Yes" when asked if you provided more than half of your own support 2. In the scholarship/education section, make sure you indicated the full $3,000 was used for qualified education expenses 3. Look for an override option - many tax programs have a way to skip forms that don't apply If the software still won't cooperate, you might need to contact their support or consider switching to a different tax program. You definitely shouldn't need your mother's SSN for this situation, and I'm sorry you're having to navigate tax issues while dealing with family estrangement.