To claim a child as a dependent the child must either be:
- under age 19 at the end of the year and younger than you (or your spouse if filing jointly)
- under age 24 at the end of the year, a student, and younger than you (or your spouse if filing jointly)
- any age if permanently and totally disabled.
In addition to qualify as a dependent the child would have to pass the following tests:
- Dependent taxpayer test
- Citizen or resident test, and
- Joint return test
The qualifying tests and more information can be found at www.irs.gov