06/25/2026
🔹 Week 1 – The “Phantom Dependent” Credit Risk
☕️ Tax Tea from: 👉😉 Pruddy 😉 👈
Always re-verify dependency eligibility every year, even for the same child.
🧠 What gets missed:
Tax software rolls forward dependents automatically
BUT eligibility can change due to:
Temporary custody changes
A child filing their own return
Support test failure
👉 Result:
Credits like CTC, EIC, and HOH get claimed incorrectly
IRS often rejects later or audits—not at submission
🔥 Pro move:
Run a quick internal checklist:
➡️Did the dependent live with taxpayer > 6 months?
➡️Did taxpayer provide > 50% of support?
➡️Did another taxpayer potentially claim them?
