🎯Dependent Child or relative T/F

Responses

1. 

   Justin Wedul 1 January 2024

   Hello –
   I am unclear of the difference between a dependent relative and an dependent which is categorized as an ‘other dependent’ which equates to, I believe, a $500 credit.
   Can I trouble you to explain the difference?
   Thank you –
   Justin

   1. 

      Deleted User 3 January 2024

      Hello Justin,

      Can you please mention which question are you referring to ?

      Farhat Lectures support team

2. 

   Jessica Pierre 10 May 2024

   Hello,
   For question 3, if John’s father was a resident of Canada, would he qualify as a dependent relative? The Becker material states that a dependent relative can only be a citizen of the United States or Residents of the United States, Mexico, or Canada. However, the explanation for this question only mentioned that he must be a US citizen or a US resident.

3. 

   Vinny D 4 October 2024

   For #3 if John’s father was both a citizen and resident of Canada, could he then be claimed as a dependent?

   1. 

      Maroun, CPA 9 October 2024

      Hello Vinny,

      For a person to be claimed as a qualifying relative for U.S. tax purposes, the IRS requires that the person must be either:
      – A citizen of the United States (John’s father does NOT meet this test since he is a citizen of Canada), or
      A resident of the United States, Canada, or Mexico (John’s father does NOT meet this test since he is a resident of Germany).

      Since the requirement specifies that the person must be either a U.S. citizen or a resident of the U.S., Canada, or Mexico, John’s father does not qualify as a dependent because he is neither a U.S. citizen nor a resident of the U.S., Canada, or Mexico.
      Therefore, the correct answer to the question is False.

      I hope this makes sense!

4. 

   Christopher Rosenfelt 10 October 2024

   Please take a look at how this question is graded as I believe it is incorrect. It should be False which the explanation of the question actually agrees with but it’s still marked wrong and says it should be True.

   1. 

      Maroun, CPA 13 October 2024

      Hello Christopher,

      The gross income test applies only to qualifying relatives, not qualifying children. Being at the age of 21, Ayla may be claimed as a qualifying child by her parents, provided she is a full-time student and does not contribute more than half of her own support.

      Therefore, the answer is “true”, Ayla may be claimed as a dependent by her parents if she is a full-time student.

      I hope this clears up the confusion! Let me know if you need additional guidance.

5. 

   MARY 9 December 2024

   Question #6 Milkov Family…this question may be better clarified stated as…Milkove Family “household” to show that the children live in the same household. Anyway that’s my tip for clarity!

   1. 

      Maroun, CPA 13 December 2024

      Hello Marylou,

      Thank you for your feedback! While it’s true that adding “household” could clarify the context, it’s worth noting that for dependency purposes, both children do not need to be living in the same household with their parents for the whole year.

      – For Jane (qualifying child), she must live with her parents when she is away from college. Temporary absences to attend the university count as living with them.
      – For James (qualifying relative), there is no requirement to live with his parents. Only non-relatives must be living with you for the whole year for the qualifying relative test.

      In addition, the use of the word “may” in the question reflects the possibility that the parents can claim their children as dependents if all qualifying criteria are met. Since there are no contrary circumstances presented in the facts, such as the children filing joint returns, being supported by someone else, or failing other dependency requirements, it is reasonable to state that the parents “may” claim them. The use of “may” reflects the conditional nature of the claim based on the information provided.

      Thank you for your insight! Let me know if you have further suggestions or questions.

6. 

   Trevlyn Dzvokora 3 January 2026

   Hi why are these numbers updated to the current ones

   1. 

      Maroun, CPA 5 January 2026

      Hi Trevlyn,

      I’ve updated the numbers.
      Thank you for pointing this out!

7. 

   Kalgi 9 May 2026

   Question 2 – the response explanation is a little skewed and presenting it like a dependent relative only. However in this case Ray does not meet the requirements to be claimed as a dependent – both child and relative “if he does not live with them”.

   1. 

      Maroun, CPA 11 May 2026

      Hello Kalgi,

      I’ve updated the explanation for more clarity.
      Thank you for bringing this to our attention!