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In the event you and your important different reside collectively with out being married, you most likely share many bills. One among it’s possible you’ll even be financially supporting the opposite. In such a situation, it’s possible you’ll marvel if you happen to can declare your girlfriend or boyfriend as a dependent in your tax return to benefit from any tax advantages.
Claiming a dependent in your taxes can decrease your taxable revenue, however does your important different depend as a dependent? Listed here are the info on how you can declare a home associate in your tax return, in keeping with the IRS dependent guidelines.
What are the tax advantages of claiming my boyfriend or girlfriend as a dependent?
If you declare somebody as your dependent, you’re chargeable for their monetary well-being, together with offering for his or her meals, clothes, housing, and different requirements. In the event you present over 50% of their monetary assist all year long, it’s possible you’ll qualify to say them as your dependent. This might help you qualify for sure tax credit and deductions whenever you file your taxes, in the end saving you cash.
For instance, in case your important different qualifies as your dependent, you could possibly declare the Credit score for Different Dependents, a tax credit score value as much as $500. In case your boyfriend or girlfriend had lots of medical and dental bills through the yr that you just helped pay for, you might also be capable to deduct a few of these bills if you happen to itemize.
What are the necessities for claiming my important different as a dependent?
The IRS dependent guidelines are very specific concerning who qualifies as a dependent. Many {couples} don’t fall inside the IRS guidelines and must file taxes as people if they aren’t but married. In case you are unsure whether or not you’ll be able to declare your home associate in your tax return, TaxAct® might help you establish whether or not the person qualifies through the submitting course of.
In accordance with the IRS dependent guidelines, solely qualifying kids and kin depend as dependents. However don’t let the time period “relative” confuse you. A home associate might be thought-about a relative underneath IRS laws in the event that they meet particular {qualifications}.
If you wish to declare your boyfriend or girlfriend as a depending on taxes, your scenario has to satisfy the entire following IRS necessities:
- You have to reside collectively.
To qualify as a dependent, your important different will need to have lived with you for no less than one calendar yr. In the event you lived collectively for a shorter time, you can not declare your important different as a dependent. - Your important different earned lower than $5,200 for 2025.
In accordance with the IRS dependent guidelines, your boyfriend or girlfriend will need to have earned lower than $5,200 for the 2025 tax yr if you wish to declare them as a dependent (the restrict was $5,050 in 2024). In case your associate earned greater than the restrict, they’ve basically earned sufficient to show to the IRS that they will look after themselves financially.Even if you happen to reside along with your associate and pay many of the payments, in case your important different earned greater than the edge in a yr, you received’t be capable to declare your boyfriend or girlfriend as a dependent in your tax return.
- You have to present greater than 50% of their monetary assist.
You could possibly declare your important different as a dependent in your taxes if you happen to pay for over 50% of their primary dwelling bills. Residing bills could embody housing, groceries, training, medical bills, and extra.
You will want to maintain monitor of all these bills to show that you just present greater than 50% of your important different’s monetary assist. Maintain all receipts, documentation, and payments so you have got them helpful whenever you want them. Documentation is essential if you find yourself claiming any form of particular tax deduction in case the IRS asks for proof.
When can’t I declare my important different as a dependent?
Even if you happen to and your associate meet the above {qualifications}, the IRS dependent guidelines embody a number of caveats and additional restrictions.
As an illustration, you can not declare your associate as a dependent in your taxes if another person can declare them as a depending on their tax return. Every dependent can solely be claimed by one taxpayer. So, in case your important different’s mother and father, kids, or ex-spouse declare them as a dependent, you can not additionally declare them as a dependent.
Lastly, to say your boyfriend or girlfriend as a dependent, they have to be a citizen, nationwide, or resident of the USA. Residents of Canada or Mexico can even qualify.
What in regards to the Baby and Dependent Care Credit score?
The Baby and Dependent Care Credit score (CDCC) is a tax break for individuals who pay little one or dependent care prices to look after a qualifying dependent. A typical instance can be a mother or father paying daycare prices for somebody to observe their little one whereas the mother or father works.
Although they might sound comparable, claiming your home associate in your tax return as a dependent differs from claiming the CDCC. You’ll not qualify to say this credit score until your important different is sick or unable to look after themselves, and also you paid for them to obtain care when you labored or seemed for work.
How do I really declare my associate on my taxes?
Now that you recognize whether or not or not you’ll be able to declare your associate as a dependent in your tax return, let’s have a look at how one can make the declare when submitting your taxes. In the event you file your return utilizing TaxAct, our tax preparation software program will ask you questions on your dependents and aid you declare any related tax credit or deductions based mostly in your solutions. We’ll stroll you thru the method of claiming a dependent step-by-step to make it as straightforward as potential.
This text is for informational functions solely and never authorized or monetary recommendation.
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