Single filer with questions about claiming a dependent when unmarried

Thanks for the info! If the girlfriend made so little money, wouldn't it make more sense for her to claim the child to get more back in tax credits? I thought the child tax credit was partially refundable, and wouldn't she benefit more from claiming the child on earned income credit since her income is so much lower?

That's a really excellent point about the refundable portions of tax credits. The Child Tax Credit is partially refundable (up to $1,600 for 2025 filing) as the Additional Child Tax Credit, and the lower-income parent might indeed benefit more from this combined with the Earned Income Credit. At $18,000 income, the girlfriend would likely qualify for a larger Earned Income Credit with a qualifying child than the original poster would at $72,000 (where it phases out). So while the higher-income person might see more benefit from some deductions, the lower-income person often benefits more from refundable credits. They should calculate both scenarios to see which arrangement gives the best overall family result, as the total refund might be higher if she claims the child.

How does that work exactly? Do you both upload your tax info or just one person? I'm in a similar situation but don't want to share all my tax docs with my boyfriend's account.

That sounds too good to be true honestly. Did they want your full tax returns and personal info? How much did it cost? I'm suspicious of any service claiming to save thousands.

Each person can upload their own information separately, and the system compares the scenarios without sharing your personal details between accounts. You'll both see the comparison results showing which filing arrangement benefits your household the most, but your boyfriend won't see your detailed tax info. It actually worked exactly as advertised for us. You upload your tax documents (like W-2s, 1099s) and answer questions about your living situation, then it runs different scenarios. It's not about them "claiming" to save money - it's just calculating what the IRS rules would give you under different filing options. The service showed us that my partner claiming our child would trigger about $3200 more in refundable credits than if I claimed her, which made total sense once I saw the breakdown.

Wait, so this service actually gets you through to a real person at the IRS? How does that even work? The IRS phone system is notoriously impossible to navigate.

This seems like a scam. Why would I pay some random company to call the IRS when I can do it myself for free? And how do they magically get through when millions of other people can't?

Yes, they connect you with an actual IRS representative. They use an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When they reach a live person, you get a call connecting you directly to that IRS agent. It saves you from having to spend hours on hold yourself. Their system basically acts like a "place holder" in the IRS phone queue. They have technology that dials and navigates the complicated phone system, waits through the hold times, and then calls you once they've reached a human. It's not magic - just clever automation of a tedious process. Many people don't have hours to spend redialing and waiting on hold, so this service does that part for you. I was skeptical too until I was speaking with an actual IRS agent about my specific situation after trying unsuccessfully on my own for days.

Thanks for the suggestion, but that doesn't apply to my situation. My girlfriend and I were never married, and thankfully nobody has passed away. We're just trying to figure out the most beneficial way to file as an unmarried couple with a new baby.

Sorry about the confusion! I misunderstood your situation. In that case, you'll want to focus on determining whether Head of Household status applies and who should claim the child to maximize your family's total tax benefits. Since you mentioned you own the home and pay most expenses, it sounds like you'd qualify for HOH if you claim your daughter as a dependent. But as others have mentioned, sometimes the total family benefit is greater when the lower-income parent claims the child due to the Earned Income Credit. The IRS has a tool called the "Interactive Tax Assistant" on their website that can help determine who should claim a qualifying child.

We actually don't pay for childcare since we're staggering our work schedules, but that's good to know for the future. Are there any other tax benefits we should be considering for our situation? I heard something about a credit for having a baby during the tax year too.

You're thinking of the Child Tax Credit, which is available for each qualifying child. Since your daughter was born in 2025, you can claim the full credit even though she wasn't your dependent for the entire year. The credit is worth up to $2,000 per qualifying child. Another benefit to consider is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which is particularly valuable for lower and moderate-income workers. At your girlfriend's income level of around $18,000, she could potentially qualify for a significant EITC if she claims your daughter. This might result in a larger combined refund for your household compared to you claiming the child, even though you qualify for Head of Household status.