Can I claim my college student as a dependent if they work?
John Hall
Updated on March 22, 2026
If your child is a full-time college student, you can claim them as a dependent until they are 24. If they are working while in school, you must still provide more than half of their financial support to claim them.
Can I claim my 25 year old college student on my taxes?
To meet the qualifying child test, your child must be younger than you and either younger than 19 years old or be a “student” younger than 24 years old as of the end of the calendar year. There’s no age limit if your child is “permanently and totally disabled” or meets the qualifying relative test.
Can you claim a 26 year old college student on your taxes?
No, your parents cannot claim you as a dependent. You aren’t a “qualifying child” because you are over age 24, and you aren’t a “qualifying relative” because your gross income is more than $4,200. See this link to Table 5 in IRS Publication 501 for more details.
How much money can a college student make and still be claimed as a dependent?
There is NO income limits for a college student to qualify as a dependent on their parent’s tax return. The student could earn a million dollars, and still qualify to be claimed as a dependent on their parent’s tax return.
Is it better to claim my college student or not?
If your income is high enough to lose out on the dependent exemption for a child attending college, your family may benefit from opting not to claim your college student as a dependent. The tax credits and deduction for higher education expenses have much lower AGI phase-out limits than the personal exemption.
Can I claim my child if she files her own taxes?
Yes, your daughter would file her own income tax return to get a refund. If your daughter got a W-2 for 2016 and had federal income tax withheld, she should file a federal income tax return to get money back (refund). And this person will claim me on their 2016 tax return.