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oceanlily Asked March 2014

I have a 30 year old daughter, living with me. Can I claim her on my taxes?

She only receives $216. She is "emotionally challenged"

She cannot hold onto a job due to being a bipolar insomniac, extremely depressed, ADHD, dyslexic, learning disabilities and sotos syndrowe. We have filed three times for disability and now are going to hire a lawyer and process with a hearing.

She has been under doctors care since she was 3 years old. We have tons of medical records on her. Are their any sites to help me?

pamstegma Jun 2014
No, don't claim them as a dependent! My sister got SSDI and Medicaid paid for her group home only because she was NOT a dependent of anyone. You get them MORE benefits by not claiming them. People have made the mistake of claiming mom or dad or child on their taxes and BANG! Medicaid stops.

ohdear Jun 2014
These forums are very interesting . This situation to me has a lot of twists and turns. I do believe what Sujean has said above is true. How does that affect the tax situation if your daughter starts receiving disability? Can you still claim her as a dependent ? If you claim her as a dependent and decided not to apply for disability for her, what extra services would she miss out on if any ? Have you already investigated services she can get now along with additional with social security disability.
Myself I would get a tax lawyer or a personal finance advisor. I might start off first by calling the IRS for some badic information. Then I would sit down with the following people : DVR to see what services they have that are beneficial for her. What other services and / or agencies can they direct you to, private, state and federal. Will it matter if getting the services are based on your income or yours. What other financial entitlements is your daughter entittled to ? She has it seems multi mental health diagnoses and a learning disability. There are services out there from organizations devoted to each of her diagnosises. At the end of the day it is not soley about taxes. It is more important that steps are taken so she can realize the best income source for her that would also allow her to receive all the services she can get along with any extra funds, grants. The goal is to for her quality of life to be improved. You do not want to have to pass up because it was your income they went by. In the end you might wind up taking more money out your own pocket by going for a tax break. I do not know for sure so do your research carefully.

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Sujean Mar 2014
You only have to meet the income you can have and supply half her support and live in your home more then 6 months. Also you have to be single.

vegaslady Mar 2014
Not clear on the source of her income. Is it SSI? That would indicate she has already been found disabled. Her income is based on the family situation. If it's SSI I don't know what other disability you would be filing for. If the money is from some other source do for the disability. If she is so disabled that she hasn't been able to work and qualify for Social Security Disability Income SSI nay be all she can get. Why exactly was she turned down before? Lack of medical info, lack of work quarters of coverage? If you haven't already done this in the previous applications, write out a DETAILED description of her typical 24 hour day. Can she get up, make decisions on what to wear, how long does that take, does she even get dressed, bathe, take her meds without supervision. What does she do on an hourly basis...sleep, watch tv, pace around the house, manically clean or engage in potentially dangerous or promiscuous behavior? Details help fill in the gaps of daily functioning more than just a diagnosis. Has she ever had a job? Why couldn't she keep it? Good luck.

Sujean Mar 2014
Your daughter has to have made under 3000 dollars and lived with you at least 6 months. She does not necessarily have to be disabled.

pamstegma Mar 2014
She should have been on Medicare SSDI a long time ago. IF you have a lawyer with SS experience, this should resolve quickly. You should also look into a group home setting for her. My sister is in one, no expense to the family, they take her SS check and Medicaid covers the rest.

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