Claiming Your Parents as Dependents

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If you’re taking care of a parent in their sunset years, you may be able to claim them as a dependent.

It doesn’t have to be a parent per se, it can be a family member that you are giving care to. It can be a family member such as an aunt or uncle.

Obviously you’ll need to meet some requirements to be eligible to claim them. Although, they don’t necessarily have to live with you. There are four tests that must be met to qualify. Here’s a list of the tests and you can see Publication 501 for more details:

  • Not A Qualifying Child Test
  • Member of The Household or Relationship Test
  • Gross Income Test
  • Support Test

We’re more than happy to help you understand if your unique situation qualifies for claiming your parent or elderly family member as a dependent. It’s always best to go with a qualified tax professional like us to relieve any ambiguity and help you from claiming someone when you’re not eligible for it.

Image courtesy of wiremoons on flickr; reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0