If I claim my daughter as a dependent because she is a full-time college student, can she claim herself as a dependent when she files her return?

Answer: If you claim your daughter as a dependent on your income tax return, she cannot claim herself on her income tax return.

• If an individual is filing his or her own tax return, and the individual can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return, the individual cannot claim his or her own personal exemption.
• In this case, your daughter should check the box on her return indicating that someone else can claim her as a dependent.