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Asked by: Aidan Danailova
personal finance personal taxesWhat info do you need to claim a child on taxes?
Then, who can be claimed as a dependent?
The child has to have lived with you for at least halfof the year. The child has to be related to you as a son, daughter,stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister,or a descendant of any of those. The child must be 18 or younger atthe end of the year, or under 24 if a student.
Likewise, how many allowances should I claim?
In general, married couples can add one allowancefor each dependent. That means you have a total of threeallowances if you have one dependent, four allowancesif you have two dependents, five allowances if youhave three dependents and so on.
Your key to tax benefits is a SocialSecurity number. You'll need one to claim yourchild as a dependent on your tax return. You canrequest a Social Security card for your newborn at thehospital at the same time you apply for a birthcertificate. If you don't, it can be a realhassle.