GSalisbury wrote:

- quote -

There is no logic.

- quote -


The OP is under no obligation to pay more taxes than the law
requires. Why should he pay more than required? To lower
your burden?

- quote -

It seems to me that some people spend too much time worrying
about whether other people are paying their own way instead
of worrying about whether they themselves are paying their
own way.

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wrote:

- quote -

Thank you; that's useful information. (It answer the
question about taking his mother as a dependent, independent
of the issue of whether that _should_ be permissible.)

Seth

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GSalisbury <salsburyg.at.comcast.dot.net[at]giganews.com> wrote:
- quote -

That this particular issue might be one of taxes, not that
everything is.

- quote -

Or does he provide most of her support year-round? That's
how I interpreted it.

- quote -

But with him _still_ providing her support.

- quote -

If I provided a majority of *my mother's* support I'd
certainly see about claiming her as a dependent.

- quote -

It doesn't matter what happened over a weekend, but over the
full year. Note that he wrote his mother *is dependent* on
him (now), even though she won't be in the US until next
month.

- quote -

The law (and the courts) have said that minimizing taxes is
perfectly allowable.

Seth

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"Seth Breidbart" <sethb[at]panix.com> wrote:
- quote -

I have already noted that I think we should pay our own way.

- quote -

Posting on a taxes forum establishing the presumption?

- quote -

No I did not.

OP said "dependent" - but for a 6 months - a visit -
probably even entailing 100% of support while here. A visit
associated with getting married and bringing wife home and
mother (MIL) comes along for awhile (bet that'll be fun -
NOT!).

Did you miss the part where he says family member (mother)
for limited duration (6 months) at the end of which the
implication is she'll return to *her* home?

When someone visits you, regardless of the duration (a 20
year visit might be over-staying your welcome a bit<g> ...)
do you make them get a job? Find someone else to cover the
cost of their bacon & eggs? Immediately subtract $ from your
TI?

- quote -

No but they might have been 100% of my expense while I was
there (I don't need much).

My knee just jerks when I come across cases of (by my
lights) looking for a free ride - I can't help it.

Geo.

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A dependent must have a tax id number: social security or
ITN. This is to screen out fakes or duplicate claims.

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A dependent must have a tax id number: social security or
ITN. This is to screen out fakes or duplicate claims.

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Seth Breidbart wrote:
- quote -

Did you miss the part where the OP says she will live with
him only for the last three months of the year and the first
three months of next year? Unless she is a resident of
Mexico, Canada or the US she cannot be his dependent, even
if he is supporting her during the rest of the year.

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GSalisbury <salsburyg.at.comcast.dot.net[at]giganews.com> wrote:
- quote -

Why not?

- quote -

Who says it is?

- quote -

Did you miss the part where he says his mother is his
*dependent* (which I take to mean he provides more than 50%
of her support)?

- quote -

Did the toothpaste and beer come to more than 50% of your
total expenses for the year?

Seth

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"Bill Brown" <brownwp[at]longwood.edu> wrote:
- quote -

No I don't.
I try to approach -my- taxes "logically"<g> , however.
Not meaning to start a contest to see who's stream reached
further but... I was trying to make the point, using the
OP's abbreviated facts, that he had a visiter and was
wondering why should I have to pay for it.

It just seems to me sometimes we (people) spend too much
time trying to find ways to not pay our own way.

Geo.

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GSalisbury wrote:
- quote -

And I would hope that you don't give tax advice for
compensation.

The OP needs to provide additional information but it
appears that his mother-in-law will not be qualifying for
resident alien status and, therefore, will not qualify to be
claimed as his dependent.

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"sanju" <tupe.sanjay[at]gmail.com> wrote:

- quote -

I would hope not!
Why is every life event supposed to be a tax activity?
Sounds to me like you simply have someone coming for a visit.
I spend the weekend at my brother's and drink his beer and
use his toothpaste and he has a tax deduction? No - he has
brother.

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Hi,

I got married recently in India. My wife alongwith my mother will
join me in USA by this month end. My mother is dependenton me and she
will stay with me in USA for 6 months starting Oct,1,2006. Do you think

I can claim her as a dependent on my tax return in W-4 form?

- Sanjay

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