I filed my taxes for the first time this year. I only made 2,000 dollars, but I figured it would be nice to get the $125 back. My mother claims me as a dependent, but at the time I filed as an independent because I did not know this. Now she claims that because I filed as an independent, she has to pay $8,000! Is this true?

Thank you!

Paula, New Haven, CT

It's possible that this could cost her quite a bit, especially if you are her only dependent and she is single. In this case she would be excluded from filing as Head of Household, and filing as single instead of HoH could indeeed cost her quite a bit.

You can file an amended return, and this time show yourself as a dependent of someone else. But before going down that path, please tell us: how old you are, are you a full time student, what your income was, and does your mother provide at last half your upkeep? This will hep determine whether your mother is allowed to claim you as a dependent. Because if she is not, then you did the right thing.

I'm 21, a full time student, I made around 2,000 dollars in 2008 from jobs at college, and my mom pays all of my bills and started paying off my student loans, so I'm assuming that compensates for supporting me?

As a family you would be much better off if she claimed you as her dependent. You should file an amended return. Even though you would file as her dependent, you should get virtually all your withholding taxes back.