Head of Household Versus Single Filing Status
Find out if you qualify to file as head of household vs. single as your filing status with the head of household Tool below. Simply answer a few questions and you will have the answer for your personal situation. Many single parents qualify as head of household and as a result save taxes. It's a great tax return filing status that can pay off when you e-file your tax return!
Use the tool below to see if you qualify based on a few questions. Then, start your return on Taxpert and select the head of household status when you begin the tax interview. The Taxpert app will automatically apply the higher standard deduction and help reduce your taxes as you enter your income and other tax information.
Attention : Compared to the single filing status , the head of household filing status will get taxpayers get lower tax rates and a higher standard deduction , plus qualify more easily for tax credits . Many singles with dependents qualify as head of household - use this Dependent Calculator to see who you can claim on your 2022 Return. Additionally, other unmarried people and, with some exception, legally married people with dependents might qualify as head of household. Generally, however, to qualify to file or e-File as a head of household, you have to be unmarried and you have to support a dependent or qualifying relative .
Exceptions:
If you live apart from your spouse and meet certain requirements - even if you aren't divorced or legally separated - you might file as head of household. Should you qualify to file as head of household instead of as married filing separately, your standard deduction will be higher. Plus, your tax amount overall may be lower, and you might be able to claim the earned income credit.
Even if you were married at the end of a tax year, and one spouse is a US citizen or resident alien of the US and the other spouse is a nonresident alien, you can choose to treat the nonresident as a US resident. This also includes cases if one of you is a US nonresident alien at the beginning of the tax year, but a resident alien at the end of the tax year while the other is a nonresident alien at the end of the year. If you treat your nonresident alien spouse as a US resident alien, you may be able to use head of household filing status. Please use the tool below. As head of household, you must pay more than half the cost of maintaining a household for certain dependents or relatives other than your nonresident alien spouse.
Who is a Qualifying Person?
It can be tricky to figure out if someone is your Qualifying Person . If you have a dependent, they might or might not also count as your Qualifying Person. A dependent is not always a Qualifying Person and you don't necessarily have to claim a Qualifying Person as a dependent.
Confused? Don't worry, we've made it easy for you! Just use the free head of household tool on this page. Then, prepare and e-file with Taxpert and let the tax app select the best filing status for you.
How to File as Head of Household
If you live apart from your spouse and meet certain requirements - even if you aren't divorced or legally separated - you might file as head of household. In the case you qualify as head of household instead of as married filing separately, your standard deduction will be higher. Also, your tax may be lower, and you may be able to claim the earned income credit.
Find out how to how to file as head of household and see detailed requirements to file as head of household. Need help? Ask a Taxpert questions !
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