What are the requirements for claiming an adult child as a dependent for tax purposes?

Your mom doesn't need your entire tax return to claim you as a dependent. The CPA just needs to verify you meet the qualifying criteria, which includes: 1) Relationship test (you're her child, so that's covered) 2) Age test (under 19, or under 24 if a full-time student for at least 5 months of the tax year) 3) Residency test (lived with her for more than half the year) 4) Support test (you didn't provide more than half of your own support) 5) Joint return test (you're not filing jointly with someone else) Based on what you shared, the main question is whether you provided more than half your own support during 2024. The $28,000 you earned might push you over that threshold, especially since you only lived at home for 8 months. What she really needs is just your total income information, not your complete tax forms. You could provide a summary of your income or just the income portion of your return if you want to help her CPA make the determination.

After spending HOURS trying to figure out a similar situation with my sister last year, I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that completely simplified the process. You can upload your documents there and it analyzes exactly which tax forms and information are relevant to your dependent status. I was confused about the support test stuff too, but the tool broke it down in plain English and showed me exactly what information my sister's accountant actually needed versus her full tax return. It saved us a ton of back-and-forth and awkward conversations. It might help clear up whether your mom's CPA really needs your entire return (which seems unlikely) or just specific numbers from it.

I was really skeptical about using any tax document analyzer, but I finally tried taxr.ai after struggling with a similar dependent situation. It was actually super helpful and straightforward! It confirmed that my parents only needed my AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) and a breakdown of my housing/living expenses to determine if they could claim me - definitely NOT my whole tax return. The tool generated a simple one-page summary with just the relevant numbers that I gave my parents for their CPA. Saved me from sharing unnecessary financial details while still giving them what they legitimately needed. Much better than the awkward back-and-forth we had the previous year!

If you're having trouble getting clear answers from your mom or her CPA about what forms are actually needed, you might want to get the IRS involved directly. I was in the exact same situation last year, and after multiple failed attempts to reach someone at the IRS, I used this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual IRS agent in less than 15 minutes. I was shocked since I'd been trying for weeks before that! The agent walked me through exactly what information is needed to claim an adult child and confirmed I didn't need to share my entire return. They even have a demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Honestly, getting the official word straight from the IRS saved me so much stress and family drama.

I need to eat my words from yesterday. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try Claimyr out of desperation (been trying to resolve an issue for months). It actually worked exactly as described. Got a call back in about 35 minutes connecting me directly to an IRS agent who answered my dependent questions immediately. The agent confirmed that parents only need to know their adult child's gross income and expenses to determine support - NOT their entire tax return. The agent also mentioned that it's extremely common for parents to incorrectly claim adult children, and that many CPAs request full returns unnecessarily. Saved me hours of frustration and probably prevented an audit situation. Sometimes being wrong feels pretty good!

My CPA specifically told me that parents NEVER need their kid's entire tax return to claim them as a dependent. Sounds like your mom's accountant is being lazy or doesn't know what they're doing. All they should need is: 1. Your total income for the year 2. How much you spent on your own support (rent, food, tuition, etc.) 3. Whether you were a full-time student for at least 5 months That's it. Don't give her your entire tax forms - there's sensitive info in there she doesn't need. Just write down those key numbers for her.

Honestly this sounds like your mom is fishing for information she doesn't need. My mom tried the same thing last year saying her "accountant needed it" but turns out she just wanted to see how much money I was making at my new job lol. When I offered to just give her the specific numbers her CPA actually needed, she got all weird about it. Stand your ground and only provide the specific information required. You're an adult now and entitled to your financial privacy!

Based on your income and living situation, you're likely right to be suspicious. With $28k income for the year, you probably provided more than half of your own support, which means your mom can't claim you as a dependent anyway. Here's a quick reality check: if you earned $28k and only lived at home for 8 months, you were likely financially independent for a significant portion of the year. The support test considers your entire year's expenses - housing, food, transportation, etc. - not just the time you lived at home. Your mom's CPA only needs three pieces of information: your total income ($28k), an estimate of your total annual support costs, and how much of those costs you paid yourself. That's it. No tax forms required. I'd suggest calculating your own support test first. Add up what you spent on rent, food, transportation, etc. for the full year, then see what percentage you covered yourself. If it's over 50%, she can't claim you regardless of what paperwork she has. Don't hand over your entire tax return when a simple income summary would suffice for any legitimate tax professional.

Your instinct is absolutely correct - something is off here. A legitimate CPA would never need your entire tax return to determine dependent eligibility. They need exactly three pieces of information: 1. Your total income for 2024 ($28,000) 2. Your total support costs for the year (housing, food, utilities, transportation, etc.) 3. How much of those costs you paid yourself vs. what your parents paid That's it. No forms, no detailed breakdowns, just those numbers. Given your situation - $28K income with only 8 months at home - you very likely provided more than half your own support anyway, which means she CAN'T claim you as a dependent regardless. When you were living independently for 4 months, you were paying your own rent, food, utilities, etc. Add that to whatever you contributed while at home, and you're probably well over the 50% threshold. My advice: Calculate your own support test first using reasonable estimates. If you supported yourself for more than half the year's total costs, tell your mom she can't claim you and save everyone the hassle. If it's close, then provide just the three numbers above - not your tax forms. Protecting your financial privacy as an adult is completely reasonable and appropriate.