Elgin mother can't claim son on taxes because government insists he's dead

ELGIN, Ill. (WLS) -- A local mother is fighting to prove her son is not dead, and said she can't claim her son as a dependent on her taxes because the government has him listed as deceased.

Eboney McDaniel said the mix-up should have been corrected five years ago, and the Social Security Administration and IRS are pointing fingers at each other while she just wants the government to acknowledge her son is alive.

"To see him deceased on paper, it's gut-wrenching," she said. "It's a feeling no parent should ever feel."

McDaniel said her son Jaxen is loving, kind, happy and, most importantly, alive. But despite her efforts get his name cleared, she said the federal government is dropping the ball.

"I honestly think this was my only way for somebody to help me and hear my cry," she said.

The Elgin mother said it all started when her son's father died in 2018. When she went to file for death benefits for her son, she said somehow her son was recorded as deceased instead of his father. But they don't have the same birthday, nor do they share a first or middle name.

"They only share the same last name," McDaniel said.

McDaniel said after being ignored by the Social Security Administration for several months, she finally received a letter saying in part, "Jaxen Dyson is not dead, his records have been corrected since 6/29/2019."

But when it was time to claim Jaxen as a dependent on her taxes last year, it didn't work.

"As I file him on my taxes, his social security number is rejected. And it's rejected because it's coming up as a death in the system," she said.

McDaniel said her tax returns for last year and this year were both rejected. She desperately needs the refund money.

"My son, he has autism so I need the most support possible," she said.

Though Social Security said it corrected the error, the IRS told McDaniel Jaxen's Social Security Number still comes up as deceased. The IRS said it's an error on the Social Security side. Social Security says it's an error with the IRS.

"That leaves me to try to figure out where do I go? Who do I go to?" McDaniel said.

The ABC7 I-Team reached out to both agencies. The Social Security Administration said, "We made phone contact with the individual, and we are assisting her to contact the IRS to resolve the issue."

The IRS told the I-Team that under federal law it can't discuss a specific taxpayer's situation, but that they would forward the information to the appropriate office.

Meanwhile, McDaniel said she still can't claim her son on her taxes, and Jaxen is still listed as deceased. But she said she isn't giving up.

"I am his voice. I am in his person who speaks for him, so, I'm going to keep fighting," she said.

McDaniel said she worries about the implications this may have on her son's future if it isn't fixed. Will he be able to get a job? Will he be able to get government identification or a passport?

She said she's still waiting on the IRS to say something.