I know a woman who had her four childre removed from her custody five years ago. Each year she uses their social security nunbers to receive tax credit. The state is paying the foster care family to support these children. Doesn't DCFS collaborate with the federal government? Perhaps the foster family is claiming the children as well.

It would seem that either (a) the foster parents are not claiming the children as dependents (hence the IRS doesn't see that two different people are claiming the same children, or (b) they are both claiming the children and the IRS hasn't gotten around to investigating. But sooner or later they will investigate, and penalties will be assessed.

And no - the IRS doesn't keep some sort of master list of what children each person is allowed to claim as a dependent.

Thank you so much!