What are the advantages of not filing you 19 year old on your taxes?

Answer 1

In keeping with the TOS and intent to be the source of the answers, we would suggest that tax questions are frequently very complex and that there are a number of free services available to handle your specific issue. A suggestion on how to find some are below.

http://www.aarp.org/VMISLocator/searchTaxAideLocations.do

Go to www.irs.gov and use the search box type FREE TAX HELP AVAILABLE NATION WIDE

Nearly 12,000 free tax preparation sites will be open nationwide this year as the Internal Revenue Service continues to expand its partnerships with nonprofit and community organizations performing vital tax preparation services for low-income and elderly taxpayers.

The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program offers free tax help to people who earn less than $49,000. The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program offers free tax help to taxpayers who are 60 and older.

EITC-eligible taxpayers also can seek free assistance at the 400 IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers nationwide. To assist EITC taxpayers, 167 IRS TACs will offer Saturday service on Feb. 20.

HOWEVER: At the onset, your question seems off base. Filing your child, or anyone, that qualifies as a dependent, is a GOOD thing for you. It lowers the tax you pay (conversely increasing your income). If the 19 yo has much income of his own, this may not be the case, but then he must file his own return anyway. AND of course, if he made his income, regardless of how much or little, while working as an employee....say at the local pool this summer, he had tax withheld which he likely has a right to a refund of, as well as benefits the are available as a taxpayer (like unemployment/disability, etc) that he has already paid for.

Again, if he has not had any reportable income, it would seem to only be beneficial to you or whoever has the right to declare him as a dependent, to do so.