Question

Your clients, Adam and Amy Accrual, have a 21-year-old daughter named April. April is single and is a full-time student studying for her bachelor’s degree in accounting at California Poly Academy (CPA) in Pismo Beach, California, where she lives with her roommates year-round. Last year, April worked at a local bar and restaurant four nights a week and made $18,000, which she used for tuition, fees, books, and living expenses. Her parents help April by sending her $300 each month to help with her expenses at college. This is all of the support given to April by her parents. When preparing Adam and Amy’s tax return, you note that they claim April as a dependent for tax purposes. Adam is insistent that they can claim April because of the $300 per month support and the fact that they “have claimed her since she was born.” He will not let you take April off his return as a dependent. Would you sign the Paid Preparer’s declaration (see example above) on this return? Why or why not?

Answer 1

As per IRS, one for the conditions for the child to meet the dependent condition is that she/he should've lived with the parents for atleast half a year. Since in the gveng problem Adam and Amy daughter stayed with her roommates for a year round, it is contrary to the said condition. Hence she cannot qualify as dependent alla though she satisfies other giving conditions. Hence i would not sign the declaration for the return.