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I have financially supported my 25 year old roommate for the majority of this year- with housing, food, utilities, etc. He has had no income, and has paid nothing to me this year. Can I claim him as a dependent to write off those expenses?
AI accountant’s answer:
In general, to be claimed as a dependent a non-family member must have lived with you the entire year, have less than $4,200 in gross income, and you must have provided over one half of the total support for the dependent in the year. There are other requirements for the dependent such as not filing a joint tax return, not being claimed as a dependent by someone else, and must be a US citizen with a Social Security Number.

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Answer
In general, to be claimed as a dependent a non-family member must have lived with you the entire year, have less than $4,200 in gross income, and you must have provided over one half of the total support for the dependent in the year. There are other requirements for the dependent such as not filing a joint tax return, not being claimed as a dependent by someone else, and must be a US citizen with a Social Security Number.

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Melissa Pedigo, CPA

Melissa Pedigo has been a CPA for over 20 years and she is one of the only CPA copywriters in the world. With a vast knowledge of U.S. tax and accounting, she’s able to write about tax and finance topics from a unique perspective...as an industry expert. When she’s not writing or being an accounting nerd, you’ll find her watching and playing tennis, reading, tending to her half-grown garden, and studying foreign languages

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