[USER]

When does it make sense to have a son/daughter file their own taxes? And, can you claim them as your dependent if they file separately?

Details:
23 yr old Son
2024 income ~$6,800
Finishing College, lives with parents, so all living expenses covered.

Thanks in advance!

[Erica]

Technically, if they have income, they should file. As others have said, he can select that someone else can claim him.

[Amy]

Actually, he may be required to file. If his income was earned income from a W-2 job, he’s probably fine not filing, but he won’t get a refund of any taxes withheld from his paycheck.

If it was self-employment income, it’s over the $400 minimum income that requires filing.

If it was investment income, it’s more than the $1,300 minimum income for a dependent that requires filing.

If it was earned income, he should also consider opening a Roth IRA.

[Michelle]

If they have their earned income over the filing requirement they have to do their own return regardless of whether or not someone else can claim them as a dependent.

There is a limited amount of unearned income that can be put on the parents return.

I’ve done separate returns for my kids starting at like age 10 or 11.

[Falyn]

He can file but when it asks if someone else can claim him as a dependent, he should say yes.

Then you claim him.

[Charlotte]

He should file! It helps teach him how the process works, prevents someone from fraudulently filing with his ss#, and will get any taxes paid refunded to him.

If you claim his as a dependent then he just needs to indicate on his return that he is someone’s dependent.

That being said, this is the last year you can claim him. The income limit for someone over 23 to be a dependent is $5,050 ($5,200 in 2025) so he won’t qualify as your dependent in 2025 if he has a similar or larger income.

[Dave]

Probably makes sense for you to claim him as a dependent to get the credit — if he filed solo, he’d have no tax liability because he’s well under the standard deduction amount.

[Bill]

Yes, they can file. They just can’t claim themselves since they are your dependent

[Author]

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