[CANICE]

Does anyone claim their foster child on their taxes as a dependent. I was told I could but don't have a social security number.
How do you handle that?
Canice

[phatpony]

I think you can get an ATIN. Go to the IRS website and do a search for ATIN.

[LibbyHawkins]

I just asked the cw for them a week ago, she said ok, let me check while we were on the phone! Talk about surprised, I was ready to argue my right. . .she had one on file, none for the other. . . so she is trying to get the other. We will see, especialy as they just moved to a relative placement.

[vesw01]

Yup sure did. Already filed my taxes with all three foster children included. I had asked for their SS numbers a while ago and asked for copies more recently to make sure that they were accurate.

It made a huge different in our return - we were able to claim the child tax credit for each one....

[foster_bub]

As long as the children have been in your home 6 months and 1 day you can claim them as dependants. The CW should have the ssn's. If they don't I'd make sure they got it for you. We're talking about a lot of money, close to $2000 per child.

If the bios claim them you will have to ammend your return and the IRS will determine who 'wins'. Usually if the bios claim them, and they have a court order stating they're required to pay child support to the state and cover medical expenses they'll garnish their tax return.

I get my taxes done through H&R Block. Painless but expensive, it cost close to $200. Small price to pay which included the peace of mind option ($30) in the event we were to be audited due to the foster children.

[professor70]

my cw gave me the ssn but told me if i claimed as a dependent i would have to claim per diem also. the state does not supply a 1099 so i am not sure if this is true, does anyone know.

[coachmur]

No, you do not have to claim the per diem. It is not income.

[emcal]

We claimed our foster children, you do have to have them 6 mo. and you do not include your perdeim.

p.s, we took our taxes to h&r block waisted an hour, they were not helpful. we got up and left, called another place the next day. we claimed them no prob.
this new tax credit is new last year i belive so just call ahead so they have it researched before you get there to save time.

[vesw01]

We just used H&r block out of the box and it gave us foster child as a list of an option for dependent. Quick simple - done in 20 minutes... filed and will recieve our tax return on Friday - 10 days maybe??? It made a HUGE difference in the amount we got back and no we didn't have to claim per diem.

[kxl164]

Don't you have to be able to prove that you spend more than the money the county gives you to take care of them though?

I thought you could claim them if they were in your house for more than 1/2 of the year and if their "income" (support they receive from the county) accounts for less than 1/2 of what it costs to take care of them.

You don't have to claim the support $, but you have ot be able to prove that you spend X amount on them/month above what they receive from the county.

Is this right? Or am I mistaken?

We were not going to claim our foster children because we can't "prove" that we spend X amount on them above what the county gives us because we haven't saved everything.

Any insight on this?

Thanks,

[marthavmommy]

Ves which version did you use of H&R block in the box? I usually have to use the stepped up version as we have a rental house. I wonder if they all have the option. I also thought you had to prove that you spent more than the per diem. How could you prove that? Save every frigging reciept from the grocery store and every other place you buy for them? Including admission to the zoo and other recreation?

[Chancey]

kxl164 - you do not have to prove your expenses are more because the law says "the person does not provide more than half of their own support". The state provides their support not the kids, so you can claim them.

The providing more than half of their own support would typically mean someone such as your own parent who is living with you.

We claimed ours last year and this year and have had no problem at all.

[sgtfirstwife]

Can you claim a child if they were born in 2006, but have been with you less than six months? We have had our child since birth, but less than six months.

[crispex]

Originally Posted by sgtfirstwife

Can you claim a child if they were born in 2006, but have been with you less than six months? We have had our child since birth, but less than six months.

Yes you can. I completed an adoption of a 3 1/2 yr old in Oct (from Russia) and was able to claim her. Same would apply to the foster child.

[sgtfirstwife]

I know that we have to apply for that number since we don't have ss number, but does anyone know what other documentation the IRS wants to go along with it.?

Thanks