My child is going away to college

[jenjaynebell]

My son will move to his own apartment in August of 2022 to attend the University of California at Berkeley. Can I still claim him as a dependent for this year? If I am helping to pay his expenses while he is away, can I claim him next year, for 2023?

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Finally, wondering about my W4 and if it needs updating if I decide not to claim him for 2023. I am single and rent my home and currently claim 2. My instincts tell me I may need to go to zero. 

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Looking forward to your insights. Thank you!

[ArthurJ]

Hi

If your son is under the age of 24 you may claim him as a dependent when away at school if you provide more than one-half of his support.  When the support test does not meet one half he will not be your dependent.  Third-party payments of welfare and scholarships are not considered to be supported by your son.  Your W-4 does not need to be changed until he is no longer your dependent.

[JandKit]

Hi!

When a child is away for education, it is considered temporary. This allows you to meet the test for being in the household. The age is important though. The year in which the child reaches 24 will affect you claimimg the education credit. So, if the child is under 24 and you are his main support while attending school, you may claim the deduction. The W-4 completion is pretty straight forward in this respect.

Complete the Step 1 portion a,b,and c. Selecting 3c will allow you to take the 'other' credit and step 5 would complete the process. As always, Step 4 is available for having an additional amount taken for taxes. This is especially important since there is only 5 months left in this calendar year.

Good Luck to you!