Hello I am 21 years old and currently live on my own and work as a firefighter for the forest service. I lived with my parents the from January to the end of April this year because I had just finished school. I also worked March through April seven days a week twelve hours a day. Then in May I moved out to start my career as a firefighter. I figure I will end this year with $28,000 income without taxes. Now my parents are trying to claim me saying that I don't have a choice but if they do won't that take away from my Tax Returns? Thanks just need to clear things up.
Yes it would reduce your refund. But with the info you gave, they can't flaim you either. You aren't their qualifying child because you didn't live with them over six months of the year, and you aren't their qualifying relative since you made over $3650 for the year. Those are the only two ways to claim a dependent, and they don't qualify to claim you either of those ways. File and claim yourself. If they file first and claim you, you won't be able to efile and will have to mail your return. You'll get the claim, and if they claimed you also they'll have to pay back anything they got for claiming you.
Your parents can not claim you dependent.
1. You did not live with them for more than half of the year, so you are not a Qualifying Child. Also you are 21.
2. You earned more than $3,650 in 2009, so you are not a Qualifying Relative.
They can't claim you.
The qualifying child rules require that you lived with them for at least 6 months, so that doesn't apply. You also had to be in school for at least 5 months and not support yourself.
The qualifying relative rules don't have a 6 month requirement, but it does have $3650 income cutoff, so that's out too.
If they want to claim your tax, you can let then claim your income too, ( I would love someone do that to me), 'cause basically you don't have to pay tax what you made, think about it.
Your parents cannot claim you since they did not provide more then 50% of your support. You file taxes and claim yourself. Remind your parents their attempt to also claim you is fraud.
They are wrong on both scores. Just file your own return (come January) claiming yourself.