Legal Question in Tax Law in Washington
I am 19 and getting married. I need to be able to have my parents claim me as a dependent on their taxes to get a tuition waiver for college. Would i be able to have only have my spouses name on the lease while I live there while keeping my residence at my parents house?
2 Answers from Attorneys
First thing. You cannot file jointly, or you cannot be claimed as a dependent. Second, you cannot provide over half of your own support and qualify as a dependent.
You don't need to keep your residence at your parent's home if you are a student. Days you live on your own to attend school are considered days you live at home. The only way I could see the IRS arguing with you on this is if your parents lived right next to the school, and you were living 15 miles away. Otherwise, you can just say you are living there for the convenience of attending school.
I am sure I am not the first person to ask you this, but why are you getting married now? You are 19 years old and about to enter a much larger world than the high school one you left. You also live in a community property state, and your spouse's income is also going to start to count against you for the purposes of getting aid. But most of all, it sounds like you are about to enter college, and why not wait to see the world a little bit? I also lived with a girl when I was 19, and we dated all through high school. Although I never would have thought so at the time, we were not EVEN close to the same people at 25 that we were at 19. But if you do, good luck to you both. The World needs a little more love, and a little less hate.
Oh yeah. Enjoy your time at college. It is easy to miss out on a lot, but it passes in the blink of an eye.
Christopher Larson
Insight Law
www.insightlawfirm.com