RUMOR: The 14th Amendment guarantees citizenship to children born to parents illegally in the U.S. Critics argue that automatic birthright citizenship could be changed by revoking the statute. Others say it would require a constitutional amendment because they believe the 14th Amendment requires birthright citizenship.
Answer: Each child can only be claimed as a dependent by one parent (except when married couples file taxes jointly). Typically, in the case of divorced, separated, or never married parents, it is the custodial parent who is legally able to claim a child as a dependent for tax purposes.
Generally, in order for someone to claim a child as a dependent on their taxes, a parent must provide at least 50% of the child's financial support during the tax year. For couples who are still married and living together, claiming kids as dependents is usually a slam-dunk. Using this form, the custodial parent can relinquish the exemption for one year, a number of years, or forever, depending on what the parties agree to. 2  If you relinquish the exemption, you are also relinquishing eligibility for the child tax credit.