​This article was updated for Tax Year 2023, last edited on December 21st, 2023.

Per the IRS, financially supporting somebody means paying for more than 50% of a person's support.

Note: Knowing if you're providing more than 50% of someone's support requires knowing the amount of their total support. The IRS recommends that you compare “the amount you contributed to that person's support with the entire amount of support that person received from all sources” to see if you provided more than 50%.

Support can include, but is not limited to, costs for lodging, food, utilities, clothing, education, medical and dental expenses, travel, and recreational activities. More information can be found on this page, using the IRS’s Worksheet 2.

Per the IRS, if there are expenses not related to one specific member of the household (like household groceries and supplies), the costs need to be divided among the members of the household.

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