Q. Can I file if I only worked the last three months of the year?
A. The filing requirement is based on total income for the year, not time worked. Even if you are under the filing threshold, you may be eligible for refundable tax credits, that are based on your eligibility to claim a Qualifying Child dependent*.
Q. Will I be eligible for head of household?
A. HoH is not based on time worked, but on having a qualified dependent (usually a child) and providing more than half the household support for the home that child lives in.
Q. Will I be eligible for child credit?
A. There is no "Child Credit". There is a Child Tax Credit (CTC) and a separate Earned Income credit (EIC). The EIC is greatly increased if you can claim qualifying child(ren) as dependents. Hence, it is sometimes referred to as a child based credit. If you can claim a qualifying child dependent, you can claim the CTC. The child
tax credit is limited to your
tax liability. The CTC is a non-refundable credit and can only reduce your
income tax to 0, It can not help you beyond eliminating your tax liability.
But, if you have more than $3000 of earned income, some or all of it is usually
given back to you thru the "Additional Child tax credit". The ACTC is basically
15% of your earned income over $3000.
*Others have asked, do you live with another adult. A child may be the qualifying child, for tax purposes, of any relative he lives with. So the question may not be limited to can YOU file; but should be expanded to who should claim your child.
