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Dependents - Who You Can Claim for Certain Tax Benefits
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Your filing status and eligibility for certain credits is determined, in part, by whether you have a qualifying dependent. The software will automatically calculate any eligible credits as you enter your information. Tips are provided during the interview process, but you can also use the guidelines below to help determine if someone qualifies as your dependent.

Entering Dependent and Credit Information
Follow these instructions to enter dependent and credit information in your TaxAct return:
  1. Ensure that you have entered your personal and filing information. For more information, see our Changing Basic Information (Name, SSN, Birthdate) FAQ. 
    • Verify that you have selected the correct filing status.
  2. Then, enter your dependent’s information. For information on how to enter or edit a dependent in the TaxAct program, go to the Dependents - Entering Information in Program FAQ. 
    • Credits cannot be calculated until you have entered both dependent and income information.
  3. Ensure that you complete the other required information for each credit that you expect to be calculated, detailed steps are listed below.
Online
Dashboards
  1. From within your TaxAct return, click Deductions & Credits.
    • On smaller devices, click the menu at the top left corner of your screen, then make your selection. 
  2. Under My Tax Breaks, you will see credits that have been calculated based on your earlier entries. 
    • If you see Start or Fix, you will need to make additional entries to finish data entry and allow the calculation to be done.
    • Click Edit to review the information used in the calculation, or to make selections for uncommon scenarios. 
  3. If you need to add another credit, use the search box to find and add the topic. Enter the credit name and click Add. Common credits include: 
    • Child & Other Dependent Tax Credits 
    • Earned Income Credit (EIC)
    • Dependent Care Credit
  4. Complete the rest of the interview process. 
Classic Navigation
  1. From within your TaxAct return, click Federal, then Credits. 
    • On smaller devices, click the menu at the top left corner of your screen, then make your selection. 
  2. Review each of the following credits, as applicable:
    • For the Child and Dependent Care Credit, select Review beside Child and dependent care expenses, then answer the related questions.
    • For the Earned Income Credit (EIC), select Review beside Earned income credit.
    • For the Child Tax Credit (CTC) or Other Dependents Credit (ODC), select Review beside Child tax credit/Credit for other dependents.
  1. Complete the interview process for each credit. 
Desktop
  1. From within your TaxAct return, click Federal, then Credits. 
  2. Review each of the following credits, as applicable:
    • For the Child and Dependent Care Credit, select Review beside Child and dependent care expenses, then answer the related questions.
    • For the Earned Income Credit (EIC), select Review beside Earned income credit.
    • For the Child Tax Credit (CTC) or Other Dependents Credit (ODC), select Review beside Child tax credit/Credit for other dependents.
  1. Complete the interview process for each credit. 
Note: To file as Head of Household, you must generally be unmarried and have a qualifying dependent who lived with you for more than half the year. If you meet these requirements, you will be prompted to select Head of Household while entering your basic information. Head of Household will not appear as an option until after you have entered a qualifying dependent. Specific rules apply for foster children and relatives. See IRS  Publication 501 for full details.
 
Guidelines

Dependent Guidelines

Per IRS Publication 17:
  • You cannot claim dependents if you or your spouse (if filing jointly) can be claimed as a dependent by someone else.
  • You cannot claim a married person who files a joint return, unless it’s solely to claim a tax refund.
  • Your dependent must be a U.S. citizen, resident alien, U.S. national, or a resident of Canada or Mexico.
  • The individual must meet the requirements to be a qualifying child or qualifying relative.
 
Qualifying Child Requirements
To be a qualifying child, the person must pass the following tests:
  1. Relationship: Your child, stepchild, foster child, sibling, or a descendant of any of them.
  2. Age: The child must be at least one of the following:
    • Under age 19 and younger than you (or your spouse).
    • Under age 24, a full-time student, and younger than you (or your spouse).
    • Any age if permanently and totally disabled.
  3. Residency: The child must have lived with you for more than half of the year.
  4. Support: The child must not have provided more than half of their own support during the year.
  5. Joint Return: The child must not have filed a joint return for the tax year (unless to claim a refund)
Note: If a child meets the criteria to be the qualifying child of more than one person, only one taxpayer may claim the child.
 
Qualifying Relative Requirements
To be a qualifying relative:
  1. The person cannot be your qualifying child, or the qualifying child of another taxpayer.
  2. The person must either:
    • Live with you all year as a member of your household.
    • Be related to you in one of the ways listed in Publication 501.
  3. The person’s gross income must be less than $5,050 for 2024.
  4. You must provide more than half of the person's total support for the year.
 
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