Tax Related Questions > Personal Information > Dependents and Exemptions

What are personal exemptions? A personal exemption is a tax deduction that allows you to reduce your taxable income, thus reducing the amount of income tax you owe. The amount of...
What tax breaks can a dependent get me? For every dependent you have, you are allowed to claim a dependency exemption, which decreases the amount of income on which you are taxed. For 2011 t...
What Is a Dependency Exemption? In addition to the Personal Exemptions for you and your spouse, the IRS allows you to substract an equivalent exemption amount from your taxable incom...
Who qualifies as a dependent? Dependents are divided into two categories: qualifying children and qualifying relatives, each with its own set of requirements. If your dependent is ...
What qualifies as support for a dependent? For the purpose of determining if someone is your dependent, total support includes the amounts spent to provide food, lodging, clothing, education, m...
Who Is a Qualifying Child for Tax Purposes? A qualifying child allows you to claim several tax breaks not available to taxpayers without children, such as the exemption for a dependent, the Chil...
Who Is a Qualifying Relative for Tax Purposes? Several conditions must be met before an individual can qualify as your relative. Namely, He or she cannot also be claimed as a qualifying child. Th...
Can an adult qualify as a dependent? You may be able to claim certain adults who are permanently and totally disabled, regardless of age, as a qualifying child. You may also be able to...
How can I find out if a college student is a dependent? You can claim a full-time college student under the age of 24 as a qualifying child, provided they pass all of the other tests. Education is considere...
Can I claim my boyfriend as a dependent? You cannot claim your boyfriend or girlfriend as a qualifying child. But you may be able to claim them as a qualifying relative, provided they lived w...
Can someone who is in prison be listed as a dependent on your income tax return? Yes, provided they meet all the requirements of either a qualifying child or qualifying relative. Generally this is going to require that the person i...