Form 8615 is used to figure your child’s tax on unearned income. The form is only required to be included on your return if all the conditions below are met:
- Your child had more than $2,200 of unearned income.
- Your child is required to file a tax return.
- The child was either:
- Under age 18 at the end of 2020,
- Age 18 at the end of 2020 and didn't have earned income that was more than half of the child's support, or
- A full-time student at least age 19 and under age 24 at the end of 2020 and didn't have earned income that was more than half of the child's support.
- At least one of the child's parents was alive at the end of 2020.
- The child doesn't file a joint return for 2020.
These rules apply if you’re legally adopted or a stepchild. These rules also apply whether or not you’re a dependent. These rules don’t apply if neither of your parents were living at the end of the year.
Recent legislation allows taxpayers to elect to modify their tax on dependent children with unearned income for tax years 2018 and 2019. The election allows taxpayers to recalculate the tax on dependent children with unearned income for these years to be based on the parent’s individual tax rate instead of the previous tax rates using trust and estate tax rates.
To enter the Tax for Certain Children Who Have Unearned Income within the program, please go to:
- Federal Section
- Other taxes
- Tax For Certain Children Who have Unearned Income, Reported on Form 8615
- Complete all information here
To view Form 8615 and its instructions, click here.
For more information on Tax Rules for Children and Dependents, click here.