Head of household

[xmasbaby0]

Am I Head of Household?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894553-do-i-qualify-for-head-of-household

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2900097-what-is-a-qualifying-person-for-head-of-household

If you qualify as Head of Household, when you enter your filing status (single or married filing separately) into MyInfo, and then enter your qualifying dependent, TurboTax will offer HOH as your filing status.

[sthuerta]

I filed single ,when it should be head of household 

[sthuerta]

I am head of household 

[xmasbaby0]

If you left out a W-2, or a dependent, or a 1099 etc…DO NOT change your return while it is pending.  The changes will go nowhere.

Now you have to wait until the IRS either rejects or accepts your return.  If your return is rejected, you will be able to go into your account and make the necessary changes to your tax return and re-submit your return.

 If the IRS accepts your return, however, then you have to wait longer until it has been fully processed and you have received your refund.  THEN you can prepare an amended tax return and mail it in. You have to be able to work from that return exactly the way it was when it was e-filed originally.  You will need to use a form called a 1040X. You cannot e-file an amended return.  They have to be mailed, and it takes about 4 months for the IRS to process an amended return.

 Meanwhile, DO NOT go in and start changing anything on your return in the system, or you will make a mess for yourself.  Sit tight and wait until you see what the IRS does with the return you just e-filed

[tony315]

I am trying to select HOH as my filing status for 2019, but TurboTax will not let me.  Under Scenario A #2 in the explanation, it states that as long as I paid over half the cost of keeping up a home AND my unmarried child also lived there for the whole year (this child does not have to be my dependent), that I qualify.  Am I missing something?  Or is there a bug in the program.

[DoninGA]

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@tony315 wrote:

I am trying to select HOH as my filing status for 2019, but TurboTax will not let me.  Under Scenario A #2 in the explanation, it states that as long as I paid over half the cost of keeping up a home AND my unmarried child also lived there for the whole year (this child does not have to be my dependent), that I qualify.  Am I missing something?  Or is there a bug in the program.

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You Must have a qualifying person as a dependent to be eligible for Head of Household filing status, among the other requirements.

TurboTax Tax Tip - https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/family/guide-to-filing-taxes-as-head-of-household/L4Nx6DYu9

TurboTax support FAQ - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/family/help/do-i-qualify-for-head-of-household/00/25539

IRS Publication 501 - https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p501.pdf

[xmasbaby0]

Yes---you are missing the fact that the child has to be your dependent unless you have a signed Form 8332 with the other parent.

[kmoriet]

I'm having the same issue. Were you able to resolve it?

[kmoriet]

According to the IRS publications, the qualifying person to allow HOH filing does NOT have to be your dependent.  I am confused by all the reading

[tony315]

Thanks for the clarification.  If the description in TurboTax included this instead of just stating that the child does not have to be your dependent it would be much clearer.  Thanks for all of the quick replies!!

[tony315]

The IRS publication clarifies that you can still file as HOH in the years when the other parent is claiming the dependent (hence not your dependent in that particular year). 

[robinannesolbach]

What's the difference between single and head of household?  I am divorced with a 24 year old son who lives independently in another state.  Does that qualify me as single or head of household?

[JamesG1]

Likely as Single and not HOH.

Head of Household

The HOH filing status applies to unmarried individuals (or married individuals considered unmarried) who provide a home for a qualified individual, either a qualifying child or a qualifying relative.

Qualifying child

For HOH filing status purposes, a qualifying child is an individual:

• Younger than the taxpayer and under age 19 or under age 24 and a full-time student, or any age and permanently and totally disabled, and
• Who lived with the taxpayer for more than half of the year, and
• Who did not provide over half of his or her own support, and
• Who is the taxpayer’s son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, or a descendent of any of them (for example, a grandchild, niece, or nephew).

Qualifying relative

For HOH filing status purposes a qualifying relative is an individual: 

• Who is not a qualifying child of the taxpayer or any other taxpayer, and
• Who lived with the taxpayer for more than half of the year (except a parent), and
• Whom the taxpayer can claim as a dependent, and
• Who is the taxpayer’s son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, grandchild, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, niece, nephew, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, aunt, uncle, stepbrother, stepsister, stepfather, stepmother, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law.

The HOH filing status can only be claimed by the parent who maintains a household for the qualifying child or qualifying relative.

A Single filing status taxpayer may have a dependent but does not maintain a household for the dependent.

See this Guide to filing taxes as head of household.

[Morenotara]

I am having the same problem.