01/20/2026
🚨 Important Tax Reminder for Parents 🚨
Your child can file their own tax return — but you have to be careful.
When a dependent files, there’s a box that must be checked that says “can be claimed by someone else.”
If that box is NOT checked and they file first, it can block you from properly filing and claiming them later.
That’s one of the many reasons working with a tax professional matters.
Here’s the bottom line 👇🏽
If your child is 18 or younger,
✔️ does not provide over 50% of their own support, and
✔️ lives with you more than 6 months out of the year,
👉 They are still your dependent. Period.
Too many parents stop claiming their kids just because they turned 18 and want to “file on their own.”
That can mean leaving money on the table.
They can file their own return AND you can still claim them — if they qualify.
Make sure you’re getting your coins… not giving them away. 💰
