8814 Parents' Election to Report Child's Interest and Dividen

Form

8814

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service (99)

Parents’ Election To Report
Child’s Interest and Dividends

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OMB No. 1545-0074

2020

Go to www.irs.gov/Form8814 for the latest information.
Attach to parents’ Form 1040, 1040-SR, or 1040-NR.

Attachment
Sequence No. 40
Your social security number

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Name(s) shown on your return

Caution: The federal income tax on your child’s income, including qualified dividends and capital gain distributions, may be less if you
file a separate tax return for the child instead of making this election. This is because you cannot take certain tax benefits that your
child could take on his or her own return. For details, see Tax benefits you cannot take in the instructions.
A Child’s name (first, initial, and last)

C If more than one Form 8814 is attached, check here

Part I

B Child’s social security number

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Child’s Interest and Dividends To Report on Your Return

1a

Enter your child’s taxable interest. If this amount is different from the amounts shown on the child’s
Forms 1099-INT and 1099-OID, see the instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
b Enter your child’s tax-exempt interest. Do not include this amount on line 1a
1b
2a Enter your child’s ordinary dividends, including any Alaska Permanent Fund dividends. If your child
received any ordinary dividends as a nominee, see the instructions . . . . . . . . . . . .
b Enter your child’s qualified dividends included on line 2a. See the instructions
2b
3
Enter your child’s capital gain distributions. If your child received any capital gain distributions as a
nominee, see the instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4

5
6

7
8
9
10
11
12

1a

2a

3

Add lines 1a, 2a, and 3. If the total is $2,200 or less, skip lines 5 through 12 and go to line 13. If the
total is $11,000 or more, do not file this form. Your child must file his or her own return to report the
income
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Base amount. Enter 2,200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Subtract line 5 from line 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If both lines 2b and 3 are zero or blank, skip lines 7 through 10, enter -0- on line 11, and go to
line 12. Otherwise, go to line 7.
Divide line 2b by line 4. Enter the result as a decimal (rounded to at least three
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places) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7
Divide line 3 by line 4. Enter the result as a decimal (rounded to at least three
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places) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8
Multiply line 6 by line 7. Enter the result here. See the instructions for where to
report this amount on your return . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9
Multiply line 6 by line 8. Enter the result here. See the instructions for where to
report this amount on your return . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
Add lines 9 and 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11

Subtract line 11 from line 6. Include this amount in the total on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 8. In the
space next to that line, enter “Form 8814” and show the amount. If you checked the box on line C
above, see the instructions. Go to line 13 below . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Part II

4
5
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Tax on the First $2,200 of Child’s Interest and Dividends

13
14
15

Amount not taxed. Enter 1,100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Subtract line 13 from line 4. If the result is zero or less, enter -0- . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tax. Is the amount on line 14 less than $1,100?
No. Enter $110 here and see the Note below.
. . . .
Yes. Multiply line 14 by 10% (0.10). Enter the result here and see the Note below.
Note: If you checked the box on line C above, see the instructions. Otherwise, include the amount from line 15
Form 1040,1040-SR, or 1040-NR, line 16. Be sure to check box 1 on Form 1040, 1040-SR, or 1040-NR, line 16.
For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see your tax return instructions.

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Cat. No. 10750J

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in the tax you enter on
Form 8814 (2020)

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Form 8814 (2020)

General Instructions
Future Developments
For the latest information about developments related to Form 8814
and its instructions, such as legislation enacted after they were
published, go to www.irs.gov/Form8814.

Purpose of Form
Use this form if you elect to report your child’s income on your
return. If you do, your child will not have to file a return. You can
make this election if your child meets all of the following conditions.
• The child was under age 19 (or under age 24 if a full-time student)
at the end of 2020. “Student” is defined below.
• The child’s only income was from interest and dividends, including
capital gain distributions and Alaska Permanent Fund dividends.
• The child’s gross income for 2020 was less than $11,000.
• The child is required to file a 2020 return.
• The child does not file a joint return for 2020.
• There were no estimated tax payments for the child for 2020
(including any overpayment of tax from his or her 2019 return
applied to 2020 estimated tax).
• There was no federal income tax withheld from the child’s income.
You must also qualify. See Parents who qualify to make the
election below.
Student. A student is a child who for some part of each of 5
calendar months during the year was enrolled as a full-time student
at a school, or took a full-time, on-farm training course given by a
school or a state, county, or local government agency. A school
includes a technical, trade, or mechanical school. It does not
include an on-the-job training course, correspondence school, or
school offering courses only through the Internet.
Certain January 1 birthdays. A child born on January 1, 2002, is
considered to be age 19 at the end of 2020. You cannot make this
election for such a child unless the child was a full-time student.
A child born on January 1, 1997, is considered to be age 24 at the
end of 2020. You cannot make this election for such a child.
How to make the election. To make the election, complete and
attach Form(s) 8814 to your tax return and file your return by the
due date (including extensions). A separate Form 8814 must be filed
for each child whose income you choose to report.
Parents who qualify to make the election. You qualify to make
this election if you file Form 1040, 1040-SR, or 1040-NR and any of
the following apply.
• You are filing a joint return for 2020 with the child’s other parent.
• You and the child’s other parent were married to each other but file
separate returns for 2020 and you had the higher taxable income.
• You were unmarried, treated as unmarried for federal income tax
purposes, or separated from the child’s other parent by a divorce or
separate maintenance decree. The child must have lived with you
for most of the year (you were the custodial parent). If you were the
custodial parent and you remarried, you can make the election on a
joint return with your new spouse. But if you and your new spouse
do not file a joint return, you qualify to make the election only if you
had higher taxable income than your new spouse.
Note: If you and the child’s other parent were not married but lived
together during the year with the child, you qualify to make the
election only if you are the parent with the higher taxable income.
Tax benefits you cannot take. If you elect to report your child’s
income on your return, you cannot take certain deductions that your
child could take on his or her own return such as:
• Additional standard deduction of $1,650 if the child is blind,
• Penalty on early withdrawal of child’s savings, and
• Itemized deductions such as the child’s charitable contributions.

If your child received qualified dividends or capital gain
distributions, you may pay up to $110 more tax if you make this
election instead of filing a separate tax return for the child. This is
because the tax rate on the child’s income between $1,100 and
$2,200 is 10% if you make this election. However, if you file a
separate return for the child, the tax rate may be as low as 0% (zero
percent) because of the preferential tax rates for qualified dividends
and capital gain distributions.
If any of the above apply to your child, first figure the tax on your
child’s income as if he or she is filing a return. Next, figure the tax as
if you are electing to report your child’s income on your return.
Then, compare the methods to determine which results in the lower
tax.
Alternative minimum tax. If your child received tax-exempt interest
(or exempt-interest dividends paid by a regulated investment
company) from certain private activity bonds, you must take this
into account in determining if you owe the alternative minimum tax.
This type of interest should be shown in box 9 of Form 1099-INT.
See Form 6251, Alternative Minimum Tax—Individuals, and its
instructions for details.
Net Investment Income Tax. For purposes of figuring any Net
Investment Income Tax liability of the parents on Form 8960, the
following rules apply.
1. All income reported on line 12 is included in the parents’
modified adjusted gross income, and
2. All net investment income included on line 12 (except for
Alaska Permanent Fund dividends) is included in the parents’ net
investment income.
For more information on Net Investment Income Tax, go to
www.irs.gov/NIIT.
Investment interest expense. Your child’s income (other than
qualified dividends, Alaska Permanent Fund dividends, and capital
gain distributions) that you report on your return is considered to be
your investment income for purposes of figuring your investment
interest expense deduction. If your child received qualified
dividends, Alaska Permanent Fund dividends, or capital gain
distributions, see Pub. 550, Investment Income and Expenses, to
figure the amount you can treat as your investment income.
Foreign accounts and trusts. You must complete Schedule B
(Form 1040), Part III, and file it with your tax return if your child:
1. Had a foreign financial account, or
2. Received a distribution from, or was the grantor of, or
transferor to, a foreign trust.
Enter “Form 8814” on the dotted line next to line 7a or line 8,
whichever applies. Complete line 7b if applicable.
Note: If you file Form 8814 with your income tax return to report
your child’s foreign financial account, you have an interest in the
assets from that account and may be required to file Form 8938,
Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets. See the Form 8938
instructions for details.
Change of address. If your child filed a return for a previous year
and the address shown on the last return filed is not your child’s
current address, be sure to notify the IRS, in writing, of the new
address. To do this, use Form 8822, Change of Address.
Additional information. See Pub. 929, Tax Rules for Children and
Dependents, for more details.

Specific Instructions
Name and social security number. If you are filing a joint return,
enter both names but enter the social security number of the person
whose name is shown first on the return.
Line 1a. Enter all taxable interest income your child received in
2020. Do not include tax-exempt interest in the total for line 1a, but
be sure to include it on line 1b.

Form 8814 (2020)

If your child received, as a nominee, interest that actually belongs
to another person, enter the amount and “ND” (nominee
distribution) on the dotted line next to line 1a. Do not include
amounts received as a nominee in the total for line 1a.
If your child had accrued interest that was paid to the seller of a
bond, amortizable bond premium (ABP) allowed as a reduction to
interest income, or if any original issue discount (OID) is less than the
amount shown on your child’s Form 1099-OID, enter the
nontaxable amount on the dotted line next to line 1a and “Accrued
interest,” “ABP adjustment,” or “OID adjustment,” whichever
applies. Do not include any nontaxable amounts in the total for line 1a.
Line 1b. If your child received any tax-exempt interest income, such
as from certain state and municipal bonds, report it on line 1b. Taxexempt interest, including any exempt-interest dividends your child
received as a shareholder in a mutual fund or other regulated
investment company, should be shown in box 8 of Form 1099-INT.
Note: If line 1b includes tax-exempt interest or exempt-interest
dividends paid by a regulated investment company from private
activity bonds, see Alternative minimum tax, earlier.
Line 2a. Enter the ordinary dividends your child received in 2020.
Ordinary dividends should be shown in box 1a of Form 1099-DIV.
Also include ordinary dividends your child received through a
partnership, an S corporation, or an estate or trust.
If your child received, as a nominee, ordinary dividends that
actually belong to another person, enter the amount and “ND” on
the dotted line next to line 2a. Do not include amounts received as a
nominee in the total for line 2a.
Line 2b. Enter all qualified dividends your child received in 2020.
Qualified dividends are the ordinary dividends that are eligible for
the same lower tax rate as a net capital gain. Qualified dividends
should be shown in box 1b of Form 1099-DIV.

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Line 3. Enter the capital gain distributions your child received in
2020. Capital gain distributions should be shown in box 2a of Form
1099-DIV.
If your child received, as a nominee, capital gain distributions that
actually belong to another person, enter the amount and “ND” on
the dotted line next to line 3. Do not include amounts received as a
nominee in the total for line 3.
Line 9. Include this amount on Form 1040, 1040-SR or 1040-NR,
lines 3a and 3b. Enter “Form 8814” and this amount on the dotted
line next to those lines unless you file Schedule B (Form 1040).
If you file Schedule B, include this amount on line 5 and identify it
as from “Form 8814.” Complete Schedule B as instructed. Also
include this amount on Form 1040, 1040-SR, or 1040-NR, line 3a.
You must file Schedule B if this amount plus the parents’
dividends is more than $1,500.
Line 10. Include this amount on Schedule D (Form 1040), line 13;
Form 1040, 1040-SR, or 1040-NR, line 7. Enter “Form 8814” and
this amount on the dotted line next to line 13 of Schedule D or in the
space to the left of line 7 of Form 1040, 1040-SR, or 1040-NR.
If any of the child’s capital gain distributions were reported on
Form 1099-DIV as unrecaptured section 1250 gain, section 1202
gain, or collectibles (28%) gain, see Pub. 929 for details on the
amount to report on Schedule D.
Line 12. If you checked the box on line C, add the amounts from
line 12 of all your Forms 8814. Include the result on Schedule 1
(Form 1040), line 8. Enter “Form 8814” and the total of the line 12
amounts in the space on that line.
Line 15. If you checked the box on line C, add the amounts from
line 15 of all your Forms 8814. Include the total on Form 1040,
1040-SR, or 1040-NR, line 16. Be sure to check box 1 on Form
1040, 1040-SR, or 1040-NR, line 16.