Online Tax Preparation and Filing FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Online Tax Preparation and Filing

Who can I count as a dependent?

You can claim an exemption on your taxes for each of your dependents. Qualifying dependents can include your child, stepchild, foster child, sibling or step-sibling, or any of their children, such as your grandchild, for example. In order to qualify for an exemption, a dependent must be under 19 or be a full-time student under the age of 24. The dependent must live with you for at least 6 months a year, and must not provide more than half of his or her own support.

You can also count other relatives and full-time members of your household as dependents, if they are citizens or residents of the U.S. or residents of Canada or Mexico, if they did not file a joint income tax return with anyone else, if you provided over half of their support, and if they have less than $3,400 of income for the entire year. Relatives who can qualify as dependents without having lived in your home for the entire year include children, grandchildren, stepchildren, siblings, half siblings, step-siblings, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, stepparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, fathers-in-law, mothers-in-law, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, brothers-in-law or sisters-in-law.

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