What determines if a child is a qualifying child for tax purposes?

To determine if a child qualifies as a qualifying child for tax purposes, three main criteria must be met: age, relationship, and residency.

The age criterion stipulates that the child must be under a certain age at the end of the tax year, generally under 19, or under 24 if a full-time student. The relationship criterion requires that the child must be directly related to the taxpayer, including biological children, adopted children, or stepchildren, as well as certain siblings and descendants of siblings. Lastly, the residency criterion indicates that the child must have lived with the taxpayer for more than half the year, ensuring that the child has a substantial presence in the taxpayer's home during that period.

By meeting all three of these requirements—age, relationship, and residency—a child is classified as a qualifying child, which can provide eligibility for various tax benefits, such as the Child Tax Credit and dependency exemptions. Other options do not encompass all necessary elements to qualify a child, leading to their ineligibility as complete answers.