Have not filed in years.

[Wowzer3]

Hi. I am a widow of 6 years with an 11 year old. I have not filed taxes in a few years, and before that my husband did the filing. The last time I filed by myself it was on the paper EZ form. I got a part time job in October and want to file.  Please help! How do I get the child tax credit? It would really help out. Thanks.

[HelenC12]

With TurboTax, we'll ask you simple questions about your life and help you fill out all the right tax forms.  Start with the free version and if you need to upgrade to a higher version, TurboTax will give you that option. Make sure you have your social security numbers, birth dates, SSA-1099's and W-2. Create a TurboTax account and follow the online questionnaire. 

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[Wowzer3]

Hi. Do I need to claim survivor benefits? How about my daughter's benefits? Can I also claim head of household? Thanks for your time.

[Vanessa A]

Yes, you will need to enter your survivors benefits from your 1099-SSA.  They may or may not be taxable, but when you file a return, you must include all of your income from all sources.  You will not include your daughters benefits.

If you are paying more than half of the support for your household and your daughter lives with you for more than 6 months of the year, then yes you can claim head of household.