Taxes File Your Own Taxes IRS Tiebreaker Rules for Claiming Dependents By Jennifer Wolf Jennifer Wolf Jennifer Wolf is a former writer for The Balance, a PCI Certified Parent Coach, and a strong advocate for single moms and dads, covering financial and legal issues. learn about our editorial policies Updated on January 23, 2023 Reviewed by Michelle P Scott Fact checked by Daniel Rathburn Fact checked by Daniel Rathburn Daniel Rathburn is an associate editor at The Balance. He has over three years of experience working in print and digital media as a fact-checker and editor. Daniel holds a bachelor's degree in English and political science from Michigan State University. learn about our editorial policies In This Article View All In This Article One Taxpayer Per Dependent The Custody Ratio Tiebreaker Rule The Income Tiebreaker Rule Parental Disagreements A Parent Can Waive the Right Photo: Tooga / The Image Bank / Getty Images Key Takeaways Only one taxpayer can claim each dependent; IRS rules prohibit parents from "splitting" a dependent. When the child lives with each parent exactly equally, the tiebreaker goes to the parent with the higher adjusted gross income. The parent who has majority custody usually gets to claim the child as a dependent. Parents can defer their dependent claim to the other parent by completing Form 8332. It's worth claiming dependents if you're entitled to do so, but the rules can be tricky in cases of joint custody or in the event of a dispute. IRS rules forbid parents from dividing a dependent claim in two, and instead applies a series of "tiebreaker" rules to decide which parent can claim one or multiple dependents. Typically, the parent who takes care of the child longer is the one who claims the dependent on their tax return. Other rules related to income can also be implemented when necessary. Only One Taxpayer Can Claim the Same Dependent Only one taxpayer can claim each dependent, and this rule can complicate the issue for couples who don't file a joint return. This rule can affect those who might be divorced or those who have never married their child's other parent. IRS rules prohibit parents from effectively "splitting" a dependent. Only one of them can claim a child as a dependent per year. Some parents with multiple children do "divide" them at tax time, however, with one parent claiming one child and the other parent claiming the other, and this is perfectly acceptable to the IRS. Ideally, you can reach an agreement with your child's other parent as to which of you will claim them. Otherwise, the IRS will apply its tiebreaker rules to determine which parent has the right to claim a dependent child. The parent will generally prevail and can claim the child as a dependent in a tiebreaker involving only one parent and another individual. The Custody Ratio Tiebreaker Rule The parent who has custody for the greater part of the year typically gets to claim the child as a dependent for tax purposes. The parent with the higher adjusted gross income (AGI) gets to claim the child if custody is split exactly 50/50, which is technically difficult when there are 365 days in a year. Note One parent is likely to have the children for at least one more night than the other, even in perfectly scheduled shared custody arrangements. The IRS would give the right to claim to that parent. The Income Tiebreaker Rule The parent with the higher AGI claims the child as a dependent in cases where the child actually does live with each parent exactly equally. This might be the case if the child lived with a grandparent or other relative for some time during the year, and the parents evenly divided the remaining time. A caregiver with the greater AGI becomes eligible to claim the child as a dependent when no parent can claim the child, such as when grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other caregivers split custody of the child. Parental Disagreements A parent who doesn't have a right to claim a child might attempt to do so anyway. It's best to seek the advice of a tax professional or attorney in this case. If two taxpayers both attempt to claim the same dependent, the IRS will reject one or both tax returns. E-filed returns claiming the same dependent will be rejected. Taxpayers who file by mail may receive a CP87C Notice. Their returns won't be processed until the situation is straightened out. The IRS will audit one or both taxpayers if neither taxpayer amends their return to revoke their claim to the dependent. The agency will investigate the facts of the situation and award the dependent according to the tiebreaker rules. Note All received tax returns are screened through an IRS computer to check for this and other red flags. A Qualifying Parent Can Waive the Right Parents who are eligible to claim a dependent can opt to allow the other parent to do so instead by completing Form 8332, the Release/Revocation of Release of Claim to Exemption for Child by Custodial Parent. The parent claiming the child would then submit this signed form with their tax return. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) How do you change a court order about who can claim a child on taxes? In general, to change a court order, you need to file a motion. When it comes to taxes, a court order may not be relevant. According to the IRS, federal law determines who can claim a child as a dependent on federal income taxes. If a noncustodial parent were granted the right to claim a child by a court order, the custodial parent would need to return Form 8332 or a similar document. If the custodial parent wants to claim the child, however, they have the right to do so under federal law if the child lives with them the majority of the time. Who claims a child on taxes if you're not married? If you're unmarried and you don't live together, the parent able to claim the child depends on who has custody the majority of the time. If there's a dispute, the claim would be determined by the IRS tiebreaker rules. If you live together, the parent with the higher AGI can claim the child. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. IRS. "Publication 596 Earned Income Credit." Pages 10-16. IRS. “Publication 5307, Tax Reform Basics for Individuals and Families.” Pages 1, 4, 7. IRS. “Qualifying Child of More Than One Person.” IRS. "Publication 501: Dependents, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information." Page 16. IRS. "Dependents." Page 6. IRS. "Form 8332 (Release/Revocation of Release of Claim to Exemption for Child by Custodial Parent)." IRS. "Dependents 7."