Does a full time college student who lives in hostel qualify you for head of household?

[Reesh]

Does college student qualify you for head of household?

[Bsch4477]

You may be able to file as head of household if you meet all of the following requirements.
1. You are unmarried or considered unmar- ried on the last day of the year. 
2. You paid more than half of the cost of keeping up a home for the year.
3. A qualifying person lived with you in the home for more than half the year (except for temporary absences, such as school). 

[Opus 17]

Head of household Is a special status mainly intended for single parents.  In addition to supporting yourself, you must support at least one qualifying person, who is usually your dependent and who must live with you in the home that you are calling your household.

[Reesh]

Can you please be specify if i qualify or not - see my answers below

1. You are unmarried or considered unmar- ried on the last day of the year.  - Yes
2. You paid more than half of the cost of keeping up a home for the year. - Yes
3. A qualifying person lived with you in the home for more than half the year (except for temporary absences, such as school). My 19 year old kid lives on college campus housing , I pay his college tuitions 

So do I qualify for Head of house hold ? Turbo tax has determined my status as Single why ?

[Bsch4477]

Tell the program that your child lived with you all year. 

[xmasbaby0]

@Reesh When you child who is a college student lives away from home for school it is considered to be a "temporary absence."   You should be saying in My Info that your son lived with you the whole year.

[Opus 17]

@Reesh 

We misunderstood your question I think.

In most cases, college is considered a temporary absence and your child is considered to live “at home” for the entire year.  This is particularly true when the child is living in a dorm, when they would have lived in your home if not for college, and if they return home over the summer.

For the child to be considered to be living independently and not qualify as a dependent, they have to take steps to establish a new permanent home away from their parents home. This might involve signing a lease and having a job that pays enough to support their independent living without parental help, or getting married, moving all of their belongings out of your house so that they are no longer using it as a residence, or taking other permanent concrete steps to establish a separate home.

In your case, you should answer the child lives with you all year, because that is the correct answer considering college as a temporary absence.