taxes

[arethinn]

My father is looking at possibly not working anymore after July, or at least by the end of the year. This is fine because he is 64 and would rather not have been working the past ten years, even, except for the buildup of retirement savings (which there isn't nearly enough of now that interest income has utterly taken a shit, but that's something else again).

As mine is the only other income in the household, and his interest income is only a fraction of my earned income, this presents us with an interesting possibility: for me to claim both my parents as dependents, since technically, I would be providing over half their support (the tax definition of "dependent"), and thus reduce my own taxes through the deductions you get for dependents.

While this sounds interesting, and certainly amusing, it also makes me fidgety. It's legal, but isn't this just the sort of tax dodge I shake my head and cluck at "the rich" for doing?

Comments

[nsingman.livejournal.com]

I'm a firm believer in a flat tax, with no deductions for charity, mortgage interest, dependents, or anything else. But the law is what it is, and I take advantage of every legal thing I can to reduce my taxes. An honest person can play by the existing rules and agitate to change them at the same time.