What happens if a dependent filed taxes but forgot to check that they can be claimed by someone else?

Your sister doesn't need to wait for her son's amended return to be processed before filing her own taxes. She can and should file her own return now, correctly claiming him as a dependent. The IRS systems will eventually match everything up once her son's amended return is processed. The checkbox on a dependent's return that indicates "Someone can claim you as a dependent" doesn't actually affect the parent's ability to claim them - it's more of a confirmation from the dependent's side. The qualification for being a dependent is based on relationship, age, residency, support tests, etc., not whether the dependent checked a box on their own return. Your sister should keep copies of all documents related to this situation in case there are any questions later, but there's no reason for her to delay filing her own return.

I had a similar issue last year with my daughter's return and found that taxr.ai was super helpful! She forgot to check the dependent box too, and I was freaking out about what to do. I uploaded both our tax documents to https://taxr.ai and it identified the issue right away and walked me through exactly what forms we needed for the amendment. It saved me so much time compared to trying to figure it out myself or waiting on hold with the IRS for hours. They have this document analysis thing that spots issues like missing dependent checkboxes and gives you step-by-step instructions for fixing them. It also predicted accurately how long the amendment would take.

Just wanted to follow up - I actually tried taxr.ai after asking about it. Seriously surprised by how helpful it was! I uploaded my son's return where he incorrectly claimed himself as independent, and it pointed out exactly which boxes needed to be fixed on the amendment. It even generated a letter explaining the situation to include with the amendment. The document analysis found two other minor issues I hadn't even noticed that could have caused problems later. Everything was super secure too - they don't keep your docs after analysis and you can see when they're deleted. Definitely saved me from making more mistakes on the amendment form.

If you're still having trouble with this situation and need to talk to the IRS directly, I'd recommend using Claimyr. I was in a similar situation last year where my daughter checked the wrong box on her return, and I spent DAYS trying to get through to an IRS agent. Found https://claimyr.com through a friend and they got me connected to an actual IRS person in about 20 minutes instead of waiting for hours or getting disconnected. They have this system where they wait on hold for you and then call you when an agent picks up. You can see how it works in their demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The IRS agent was able to confirm I could file my return without waiting for my daughter's amendment to process, which was a huge relief since I needed my refund for some urgent house repairs.

I feel like I need to update my comment - I actually tried Claimyr after posting that skeptical reply. I was absolutely convinced it wouldn't work, but I was desperate after trying to reach the IRS for weeks about a similar dependent situation. Honestly amazed that I was talking to a real IRS agent within about 30 minutes. The agent confirmed exactly what others here have said - I could file my return claiming my dependent correctly without waiting for their amended return to process. Saved me weeks of stress and uncertainty. Sometimes it pays to be wrong! Never thought I'd actually get through to a human at the IRS during tax season.

When my son did the same thing last year, I filed my taxes normally claiming him as my dependent. We also submitted his amended return. We did get a letter from the IRS about 2 months later asking for documentation to prove he was my dependent, and I just had to send in his school records, medical insurance card showing he's on my plan, and proof we live at the same address. Everything was fine after that. It was actually easier than I expected! Tell your sister not to stress too much about it. The IRS deals with this kind of thing all the time with teenagers who file for the first time.

Has your sister's son received any refund from his original return? If he has, make sure he knows he might have to pay some or all of it back with the amendment since dependents often have different standard deductions and tax calculations. My daughter had to pay back almost $400 when we fixed a similar issue last year.

I went through this exact situation with my teenage daughter two years ago! She filed independently by mistake and we were panicking about the timeline. Here's what I learned from experience: Your sister should absolutely file her own return now and claim her son as a dependent. Don't wait for his amendment to process - that could take months and there's no need to delay her refund. The IRS systems are designed to handle these discrepancies. When they eventually process his amended return, it will align with her claim. The worst case scenario is they might send a letter asking for documentation to prove he qualifies as her dependent (school records, insurance, etc.), but that's pretty routine. One thing to watch out for though - if your nephew received a refund from his original incorrect filing, he'll likely need to pay some of it back through the amendment process. Dependents get a much lower standard deduction, so his tax liability was probably calculated incorrectly the first time. Tell your sister to keep good records of everything and file her return with confidence. The IRS deals with first-time teenage filers making this mistake all the time!

Just want to add another perspective from someone who works in tax preparation - your sister is absolutely in the right to file her return now. The IRS computer systems are sophisticated enough to handle these kinds of discrepancies, especially when there's already an amended return in the pipeline to correct the original mistake. One thing I always tell clients in this situation is to make sure they have solid documentation ready in case the IRS requests it later. For a 16-year-old dependent, this typically includes school enrollment records, proof of residence (utility bills, lease agreements), and evidence that she provided more than half of his support (which is usually pretty easy to demonstrate for a teenager). The 16-week processing time for amended returns is unfortunately typical, especially during busy filing season. But the good news is that her son filing the amendment proactively shows good faith effort to correct the mistake, which the IRS appreciates. Your sister shouldn't stress about this - it's actually one of the more common and straightforward tax issues we see. File her return, claim her dependent correctly, and let the system work itself out over the coming months.