Question
If someone (other than a qualifying child) who lives with me and is unemployed, can I claim he or she as a Dependent Relative?
Answer
Maybe. You might be able to claim the person as Qualifying Relative Dependent. To do so, all of these requirements must true:
- The person is your relative or your spouses (if married filing jointly) or has lived with you the entire year (365 days).
- The person’s gross income was less than $4,300.
- You paid more than half of the person’s support for the year.
- The person isn’t a qualifying child of any other taxpayer.
- The person isn’t filing a joint return, unless it’s only to claim a refund of taxes withheld or estimated taxes paid. Also, there would be no tax liability for either the person or the person’s spouse if filing separate returns.
- The person is one of these:
- U.S. citizen
- U.S. national
- Resident of the United States, Canada, or Mexico
- You (or your spouse) can’t be claimed as a dependent.
Related Resources
Filing for a Deceased Taxpayer
If you need help handling an estate, we're here to help. Learn how to file taxes for a deceased loved one with H&R Block.
Don’t overlook the 5 most common tax deductions
From retirement account contributions to self-employment expenses, learn more about the five most common tax deductions with the experts at H&R Block.
New baby or house? How major life changes affect your taxes
Getting married? Having a baby? Buying a house? Go through your life events checklist and see how each can affect your tax return with the experts at H&R Block.
Spring Cleaning: Your Household Goods, Your Tax Deductions
Donating household goods to your favorite charity? Learn the ins and outs of deducting noncash charitable contributions on your taxes with the experts at H&R Block.