I havent filed, but I have three years of 1099s.
We have a child, and he is a stay-at-home dad.
Im head of household.
Im not working due to COVID-19.
I groom dogs as an independent contractor and he informally assists me.
I need the stimulus money for him to cover his living expenses, but we arent married.
Can I claim him as a dependent?
I pay his credit cards from my bank account.
-A.
Dear A.,
First off, Im glad to hear youre filing your taxes ASAP.
As for your boyfriend, the solution is a little more complicated.
Can you claim him as a dependent?
It sounds like he meets all the requirements.
But is it your best option?
Doing so wont get you more stimulus money, but more on that shortly.
They need to live in your home for all of the tax year.
And you must be the only person who can claim that person as a dependent.
So it sounds like your boyfriend qualifies as your dependent.
But you may not want to list him as such.
No Interest Til Almost 2027?
This may be the better move.
So consider this general information about taxes.
One big incentive for claiming someone as a dependent went away in 2018.
In your case, you qualify for this status because youre not married and have a child.
Its a free tax assistance resource operated by the IRS.
But these are coronavirus times, and unfortunately, many VITA offices are closed.
you’re free to use the VITA locator tool atirs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep/to see if theres an office open near you.
Robin Hartill is a senior editor at The Penny Hoarder and the voice behind Dear Penny.
Send your tricky money questions to[email protected].