Definitions and Special Rules

Adopted child.

An adopted child is always treated as your own child. An adopted child includes a child lawfully placed with you for legal adoption.

Adoption taxpayer identification numbers (ATINs).

If you have a dependent who was placed with you for legal adoption and you don’t know the dependent’s SSN, you must get an ATIN for the dependent from the IRS. See Form W-7A for details. If the dependent isn’t a U.S. citizen or resident alien, apply for an ITIN instead using Form W-7.

Children of divorced or separated parents.

A child will be treated as the qualifying child or qualifying relative of the child’s noncustodial parent (defined later) if all of the following conditions apply.

The parents are divorced, legally separated, separated under a written separation agreement, or lived apart at all times during the last 6 months of 2025 (whether or not they are or were married).

The child received over half of the child’s support for 2025 from the parents (and the rules on Multiple support agreements , later, don’t apply). Support of a child received from a parent’s spouse is treated as provided by the parent.

The child is in custody of one or both of the parents for more than half of 2025.

Either of the following applies. The custodial parent signs Form 8332 or a substantially similar statement that they won’t claim the child as a dependent for 2025, and the noncustodial parent includes a copy of the form or statement with their return. If the divorce decree or separation agreement went into effect after 1984 and before 2009, the noncustodial parent may be able to include certain pages from the decree or agreement instead of Form 8332. See Post-1984 and pre-2009 decree or agreement and Post-2008 decree or agreement . A pre-1985 decree of divorce or separate maintenance or written separation agreement between the parents provides that the noncustodial parent can claim the child as a dependent, and the noncustodial parent provides at least $600 for support of the child during 2025.

If conditions (1) through (4) apply, only the noncustodial parent can claim the child for purposes of the child tax credit and credit for other dependents (lines 19 and 28). However, this doesn’t allow the noncustodial parent to claim head of household filing status, the credit for child and dependent care expenses, the exclusion for dependent care benefits, or the earned income credit. The custodial parent or another taxpayer, if eligible, can claim the child for the earned income credit and these other benefits. See Pub. 501 for details.