Difficult tax season is coming for me. Opinions please!

[Customcasket]

Everybody dreads tax season. I'm dreading it and it isn't even 2013 yet. My big issue is my parents have been claiming me as "dependent" up until last year. I turn 24 this Sunday and from what I've read online and have had answered in an yahoo question my parents CANNOT claim me this year because I will be 24 before the end of the year. My father spoke to his account who has done his taxes for years now. I asked my father nicely to see what Richard said about them claiming me. He called today and I overheard him ask and the account said "Don't worry, we'll get her one more year for you." my father is inclined to believe this man because he's been trustworthy for years. I've made much more than $3,800 for the year. I posted on yahoo answers about it and I'm getting the exact answers I was expecting. What are your opinions on this whole situation? I'm going to have to go to a tax professional and figure this all out before my father's appointment on Feb 20th. I'm not trying to be a selfish child and try to "take" this money from them. They never fixed their withholding for the year so they're going to owe money because they won't get to claim me or my schooling. I don't want them to owe money. They WILL take whatever money I get back in taxes because I "get to live here for free!" and then I'll have to hear about how I'm so "ungrateful". My mother is the nightmare when it comes to this whole tax situation. My father is more understanding about everything. My brother (who is younger than me and lives at home as well) is aware of the situation so he can back me when it comes time to tell them I don't want to get audited because Richard (the account) is pulling some shady, loophole crap to get them the tax breaks.



You'll like my last bit in the question about having "pets" most places won't take Also, I don't know why it's on the UK version, I am an American unless my passport lies...
Can my parents still claim me on their taxes? - Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers

 

[Aquila]

Doing your own taxes isn't that hard, I would consider doing them through H&R Block's website. It's easy to follow and I've been using it for the past 4 years or so, since I'm almost 24 as well, and am on my own. You can also look for people who do free tax prep rather than going to the family accountant for a different opinion.

 

[Kiwibird]

It's a shame your parents are upset at you because you've reached the age they can no longer claim you. Its also not your fault they didn't choose to have anything withheld all year. With that small of an income, you have a very simple tax document to file and you can either do it yourself or pay $50-$80 (depending on your area) to have an accountant be sure it's done right. Since you are living with your parents rent-free, why not give them at least a portion (maybe half) of whatever your return is? That seems pretty fair to me, I mean, they don't HAVE to let you stay there free if they don't want the extra expense, and it at least shows you appreciate their letting you live there rent free.

Wanted to add after reading your YA post- you could always get roomates if you cannot afford your own apartment, and plenty of places accept well-trained pets. I am trying to be understanding, but your type of situation kind of aggravates me. I've lived on my own since I was 17. My parents didnt mind, and that landlord let me stay there under the table, only my (now) husbands name was on the lease in our first apartment. I've NEVER had to ask my parents or relatives or my husbands family or anyone else for anything financially in the 8 years since I moved out. My husband and I don't have stellar jobs either, we just stick to a budget and while it's not always fun not being able to have anything and everything, I couldn't imagine being dependent on my mom and dad at 24/25 year old. I struggled with it at 15/16/17 years old. also always had Kiwi for 5 years now. Some apartments wouldnt allow him, so we kept looking until we found ones that did (lived in our current apt. 4 years now). We arent the only ones either. My husbands sister worked a full time job the entire time she went to college full time, and lived on her own with roomates. 2 or his brothers did the same. None of my friends have lived with their parents since they were 18/19, and most went to college. Not trying to be rude, but I think it may be time for you to start figuring out how you can be more independent. It's stressing you and your family. Yes, your going to have to take on more responsibilities and get better with budgeting and time management, but that's all part of growing up. The older you get, the harder it's going to get adjusting to life without your parents holding your hand every step of the way. Again, not trying to be rude, but rather give some advice/experience from someone in your age bracket. It's not nice to hear, but the time does come you need to cut the cord, and your situation right now allows you to plan this out and take accountability for yourself so you can stop being a financial burden to your parents.

 

[Customcasket]

Doing your own taxes isn't that hard, I would consider doing them through H&R Block's website. It's easy to follow and I've been using it for the past 4 years or so, since I'm almost 24 as well, and am on my own. You can also look for people who do free tax prep rather than going to the family accountant for a different opinion.

I've always done my taxes on my own. I have to file my own taxes every year because I always make over a certain amount. I haven't had help with my taxes since I was 17. The issue I have is that my parents want to claim me to get the tax breaks because of my schooling.

 

[newtobirds]

Would they be willing to not claim you if you reimbersed them for your schooling?

 

[Customcasket]

Kiwibird, I've wanted to be out on my own for I can't tell you how long. I've always taken care of my own taxes when the time came. I never asked them for anything. They always told me I was free to stay at home while I was in school. It hasn't been a problem. I'm hardly home because I'm always at work or at school. When I am home I'm in my bedroom with the birds doing homework. There is no way they pay for more than half my support like all the tax sites say for being "dependent". I've reached an age where they technically cannot claim me as a dependent and still insist on doing so. It's mostly my monster of a mother who encourages this. (if she had it her way I would've been out of the house at 18. Your situation sounds like my father's. He moved out on his 18th birthday and never looked back and wanted to give his children an easier start in life allowing us to stay home while in school) I've offered to pay them something toward me living here. I feel like it would be fair to do so. My issue lies with what this "professional" told my father which was, as my father put it, "Richard said I could claim you because you live under my roof, eat my food, and sleep in my warmth" Despite what all the IRS sites and other tax sites say and what everybody has been telling me, this man says that I can be claimed until I'm 25 even though everything else says 24. I am going to see somebody else about this before it ends up being a big mess and everybody gets audited. It's so irritating. I had no issues with them claiming me when I was still under that IRS age limit for me being "dependent" it was the least I could do with them allowing me to live at home even if they didn't pay for half my support. I feel like I'm being used because they didn't take care of their withholding. Needless to say this is just one more thing making me want to get out of the house. I've been thinking of it for a very long time and haven't really made a move on it. It'll be a bit more difficult because of the birds and the cat, but I'll make it happen.

Bottom line is I need to speak with a tax professional before my father has his appointment on Feb 20th and see what the appropriate answer is. When I did one of those online "ask a professional" things with TurboTax (I've always filed my taxes with them) their answer was they "recommended" that I file my taxes and claim myself and that my parents do NOT claim me because of my age. I need something more concrete that I can send with my father to his appointment that says Richard is a scumbucket who will try some shady crap to allow my parents to claim me for the tax break. I can see somebody lying and saying "oh just put down that she only made such and such amount for the year" because that's the only way my parents could still claim me. My father is a very trusting individual and will assume that Richard knows his stuff. He will not do his own research. I'm very curious to find out what the reasoning is for Richard saying I could be claimed. I've made almost the $3,800 "dependent" mark since I started my new job in November. The 10 months before that at my other job I've made a lot more than that cutoff. I think I want to call Richard and find out what his reasoning is for me still being allowed to be claimed. I think I will do that tomorrow. Like I said, my father will not ask the appropriate questions and will go about blindly filing his taxes because Richard has never done him wrong in the many years my father has gone to him.


Thanks for responding. I was just extremely frustrated over the whole issue. My brother and I both discussed it and wanted to sit our parents down for a serious conversation about paying rent and the tax thing. He just turned 21 so they have a few more years to claim him. The problem my brother and I have is our mother will immediately jump down our throats about how "ungrateful" we are for all they do for us. She never lets us finish saying what we want to. I know she'll be extremely upset if I call Richard and find out his reasoning. I'll be "going behind their backs to keep all the money I'll get in taxes and they'll have to owe and I'm an ungrateful child and she raised me better". I'm going to do it anyway because I want to know for my own peace of mind.

 

[Sherry]

This is kind of off the topic started but still has to do with taxes. I am claiming all my fids, toys, food, supplies and vet bills as a deduction on my taxes. They are actually part do my daycare and being such I can claim them!

 

[ruffledfeathers]

I guess i would say what they do is up to them. Even if it's not 'right', if they do it and their accountant works it out, just roll with it. It may feel like forever but it's not that long until you will be on your own.
When i was the same age i was also still living home, lots of school, and in a lot of ways my 'hands were tied'. i also stayed in my bedroom when i was home, with the dog and bird, my music, etc. Once i finally moved out, i never had to go back. (Whereas my brother moved out young and moved back 2 or 3 times, and boy was that some kind of painful wing clipping!)
Good luck and hope it all works out well.

 

[Remy]

If you are too old (I don't remember where they put the age limit, and it might vary by state), then you can always give them some (or all) of your tax return as a nice gesture. The end result would be about the same as if they had claimed you, and you might even get more back since you would be independent. The chance of getting audited is pretty small, by the way. I worked for H&R Block one tax season, and out of the 500 returns we did, only 1 got audited.

I'm almost 25 and I just moved back in to my mom's house last January. There is something to be said for being on your own, but it depends on your individual situation. I wanted to go to school full time, and I can't really deal with heavy math/chem classes AND working full time. I'm lucky that my mom doesn't charge me rent, although I do try to help out. My last final was yesterday, and I've spent good chunks of yesterday and today doing a deep clean on the kitchen (it was pretty bad), although I was pretty useless most of the semester.

 

[Blue]

My parents were able to claim me when I moved back in... and I was older than 24, from what I understand if they provide more than half your support then they can claim you. So if you dont pay them rent and they feed you they can probably claim you until you move out

 

[Rana]

We're quite lucky when it comes to taxes and it's very different from the states it seems so i can't weigh in here much. but i do hoope you come to some sort of solution you and your folks can be happy with, best of luck!

 

[Customcasket]

I decided just to roll with it. I guess my whole issue was I was afraid it was going to be done the 'wrong' way. I don't like things being done the shady way. I ended up just deciding that it would be a huge mess to even try to discuss it with my parents because of how my mother acts. Eventually I'll be out on my own and it'll be great.

I do help out around the house. I might as well be a maid I'm a maid for the birds and for my family. I cannot stand when things get messy. The OCD part of me goes wild!

 

[Merlee]

I think your parents should be able to claim you as a dependent. They pay for the roof over your head, the food, and all utilities. I suggest you do the math of what you pay, what your parents pay, and then what you may receive as tax refund if you file on your own. The government takes too much money out of our paychecks as it is, so why not let your parents get what they can? We go through this same discussion with our kids too. If the parents claim you, more money comes back to the family because of the writeoffs vs. you who have none. You benefit in the long run.

I have two kids who are living at home and are going to college. They do not pay us for anything other than $10 for their cell phones and monthly car payments. They also come and go as they please. We do so because we didn't want them to get loans and we paid cash for their cars so they wouldn't have to worry about interest or, if they were strapped for money, their cars would not be repossessed. Also, we didn't want them to have outlandish student loans so they live at home while working their way through college. We, the parents, provide their food, do laundry, and health insurance so why shouldn't we claim them?

If your accountant can legally find a way for your parents to claim you, then let them do it. They earned it. Teenagers are expensive because they eat a lot, use a lot of electricty and water and don't seem to be energy conscious. Usually when an accountant does the filing, he/she can be liable for whatever is on the paperwork because his name is on the paperwork along with client. If your parents are audited by the IRS, his credibility is also on the line.

When we get our returns, we give part of it back to our kids so they can reapply that money towards college for books or tuition.

When you finally move out on your own, I hope you realize how lucky you had it.

 

[Customcasket]

Merlee,

I realize how lucky I am to have them allow me to live at home. All that they provide for me is a roof over my head (yes, utilities included) and dinner when I happen to not be working. The money my parents get back in taxes from my brother and I goes to whatever they feel like putting it toward. I wish I could have at least some of it to put back toward my student loans. Your children are lucky that you do that for them. My cell phone plan is in my name, my car, insurance, student loans, everything is in my name. If I wanted anything I had to find a way to get it myself because that's how I was brought up. I work 6 sometimes 7 days out of the week aside from going to school full time.

Do you really do your children's laundry? I'm not judging, I just get shocked when I hear of parents doing their kid's laundry for them past like 13 years oldish. I've always assisted with my laundry even as a toddler (sorting before wash, helping fold and doing a terrible job, etc but I was always involved and my father wouldn't have had it any other way) They have not done a load of laundry of my clothing since I was probably 10 when I broke my elbow and couldn't carry a basket. If I didn't want to do my laundry then I had to wear dirty, wrinkled clothing.

With all that said, I am very grateful for them allowing me to live at home. (it's saving me about $16,000 a year versus if I lived on campus where my birds wouldn't be allowed) I didn't want to come off as sounding ungrateful (which I know I did). They've done a lot for me. I just didn't understand how I was going to be claimed as dependent and nobody wants to give me a straight answer. I just want to know out of curiosity at this point. I'm past being mad. (I think about it now and don't understand why I got mad over it) It's not something I can Google because it's coming from their accountant and goes against what I read online.