Frequently Asked Questions

Quality1 Tax Pros: 14-21 days after it has been acknowledged by the IRS and there are no issues.

Quality1 Tax Pros: Yes, electronically filed tax returns are accepted until November. During 2016, the cutoff date was November 30

Question: How do I notify the IRS my address has changed?

Quality1 Tax Pros:
There are a few ways:
IRS form – Use Form 8822 or Form 8822b
Tax return – Use your new address when you file
Written statement – Send a signed written statement including your full name, old address, new address, social security number (ITIN or EIN).
By Mail – your signed statement to the address where you filed your last return.
In Person – Tell them in person or by telephone.

Question: My child was born and only lived 40 minutes. Can this child be my qualifying child for the earned income credit and the child tax credit?

Quality1 Tax Pros: Yes, if you meet the requirements, you may claim the child.

Question: Who Can I Claim as a Dependent?

Quality1 Tax Pros: Here are the guidelines:
• Marital status, relationship to the dependent, and the amount of support provided
• Basic income information such as your adjusted gross income
• If no person supplied more than half of the potential dependent’s support, the terms of any multiple support agreement you may have.

Question: Is there an age limit on claiming my child as a dependent?

Quality1 Tax Pros: To claim your child as your dependent, your child must meet either the qualifying child test or the qualifying relative test:

• 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.

In addition to meeting the qualifying child or qualifying relative test, your child must also meet all of the other tests for claiming a dependent:
1. Dependent taxpayer test
2. Citizen or resident test, and
3. Joint return test

Question: Is child support considered earned income when calculating the earned income credit?

Quality1 Tax Pros: No, for purposes of calculating the earned income credit, child support isn’t considered earned income.

Question: My spouse and I both work and are eligible for the child and dependent care credit. Can I include my 5 year-old son’s private kindergarten tuition as a qualified expense on Form 2441, Child and Dependent Care Expenses?

Quality1 Tax Pros: No. Tuition for kindergarten isn’t a qualifying expense for the child and dependent care credit because expenses to attend kindergarten or a higher grade aren’t expenses for the child’s care. However, the expense for a before- or after-school care program of a child in kindergarten or a higher grade may qualify, even though the expense of school tuition doesn’t qualify.

Question: My babysitter refused to provide me with her social security number. Can I still claim the amount I paid her for childcare while I worked? If so, how do I claim these childcare expenses on my tax return?

Quality1 Tax Pros: Yes, you can still claim the child and dependent care credit when you’re missing the provider’s social security number or other taxpayer identification number by demonstrating due diligence in attempting to secure this information.

Question: If I claim my daughter who is a full-time college student as a dependent, can she claim her own personal exemption when she files her return?

Quality1 Tax Pros: If you can claim an exemption for your daughter as a dependent on your income tax return, she can’t claim her own personal exemption on her income tax return. Your daughter should check the box on her return indicating that someone else can claim her as a dependent.

Question: Can I receive a tax refund if I owe for a prior year’s federal taxes since I am currently making payments under an installment agreement or payment plan?

Quality1 Tax Pros: No, one of the conditions of your installment agreement is that any refund due to you, the IRS will automatically apply against taxes you owe. Because your refund isn’t applied toward your regular monthly payment, continue making your installment agreement payments as scheduled until you pay your liability, including accrued penalties and interest, in full.

If your refund exceeds your total balance due on all outstanding liabilities including accruals, and you don’t owe certain past-due amounts, such as federal tax, state tax, a student loan, or child support, you’ll receive a refund of the amount over and above what you owe. For more information on these non-IRS refund offsets, you can call the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS) at 800-304-3107 (toll-free).

Question: How do I know if I have to file quarterly individual estimated tax payments?

Quality1 Tax Pros: You must make estimated tax payments for the current tax year if both of the following apply:

• You expect to owe at least $1,000 in tax for the current tax year after subtracting your withholding and refundable credits.
• You expect your withholding and refundable credits to be less than the smaller of:
• 90% of the tax to be shown on your current year’s tax return, or
• 100% of the tax shown on your prior year’s tax return. (Your prior year tax return must cover all 12 months.)

Question: How much income can an unmarried dependent student make before he or she must file an income tax return?

Quality1 Tax Pros: An unmarried dependent student must file a tax return if his or her earned or unearned income exceeds certain limits. To find these limits, refer to Dependents under Who Must File, in  Publication 501, Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information.