Do your dependents qualify you for tax breaks?

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Abstract: When you’re doing your taxes, can you count your unemployed brother-in-law as a dependent? How about your live-in niece? IRS rules say that both of the above could qualify as a dependent, under the right circumstances. For federal tax purposes, it all depends on whether that person is your “qualifying child” or, in some cases, a “qualifying relative.” This article discusses some of the criteria that can help you determine whether a child or relative may give you a tax advantage.