When I was 18 I asked my parents to look into doing that. They laughed it off but like you said it’s a pretty obvious loophole but you have plan ahead a bit to utilize it
What exactly would that look like? The article talks about guardianship, but with 18 they aren't your guardian anymore either way (at least in most states). Or is it about not listing you as a dependent? Doesn't that have negative tax implications for the parents?
minimal ... it's a few thousand dollars, and after a certain point in income, that deduction goes away entirely no matter how many children you have.
I don’t think there are many deductions for kids that no longer need child care, maybe 2k. But the biggest expense is medical insurance, that will eat a lot of the savings