| Many parents who have children attending college | | | | qualification as a dependent. |
| assume that they can claim them as a dependent on | | | | Most parents feel that these qualifications are easily |
| their income tax return. Although this may prove to be | | | | met. There are, however, a few land mines. You must |
| the case, the opposite might be true as well. | | | | be careful that a college student with a full time job is |
| A college student is a dependent of his or her parents | | | | not paying more than half of his or her support. |
| only if he or she is a United States citizen, a United | | | | Parents should calculate the support costs against the |
| States national, or a resident of the United States, | | | | child's expenses for food, clothing, and shelter to see if |
| Canada, or Mexico. Furthermore, the parent cannot be | | | | it is indeed possible that the child is paying more than |
| claimed as a dependent on anyone else's income tax | | | | half of their own support. |
| return, and the child must be a daughter, son, stepchild, | | | | A tricky way to lose a dependent college child is |
| foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a | | | | through a student loan. Let's say that your child has a |
| descendant of these. | | | | student loan for $20,000 for tuition. For tax purposes a |
| The child must be living with the parents for more than | | | | student loan is considered a form of support. That |
| half the year in order to qualify as a dependent. | | | | means that you had better be paying in excess of |
| Absences due to hospitalization, summer camp, or | | | | $20,000 for that child's support or he or she is no |
| attending college count as time spent living with the | | | | longer your dependent. |
| parents. | | | | In addition, let's say that your child has a part time job |
| In order to qualify as a dependent, the child cannot pay | | | | where he or she earns $5000 a year. Now, you would |
| for more than half of his or her support during the | | | | need to show support expenses in excess of $25,000 |
| year. | | | | to continue to claim your child as a dependent. |
| In order to qualify as a dependent, the child must be | | | | It just goes to show that you should never assume |
| under 19 years of age or a full time student for five | | | | anything when it comes to taxes, including the |
| calendar months of the year. A permanently and | | | | dependent status of your own children. |
| totally disabled child's age does not matter for | | | | |