I accidentally claimed single but I was supposed to claim head of household. Does it make a difference in the money I get back?

[xmandao]

My return is still pending. I just want to go back and change it to Head of household.

[DoninGA]

If you were qualified for Head of Household the program would have given you that filing status as you completed the My Info section of the program.

See this TurboTax support FAQ for Head of Household - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/family/help/do-i-qualify-for-head-of-household/01/25539

If you are truly eligible for HOH then it would be in your best tax interest to amend the tax return.

Once a tax return has been filed it cannot be changed, canceled or retrieved

You will have to wait for the IRS to start accepting or rejecting 2020 tax returns on February 12, 2021
If the return is rejected you can make the necessary changes and e-file again.
If the return is accepted you will have to amend your original tax return. An amended return, Form 1040X, can only be printed and mailed to the IRS, it cannot be e-filed. The IRS will take up to 16 weeks or longer to process an amended tax return.

Before starting to amend the tax return, wait for the tax refund to be received or the taxes due to be paid and processed by the IRS.

See this TurboTax support FAQ on amending a tax return originally completed and filed using the 2020 TurboTax online editions - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/amending/help/how-do-i-amend-my-turbotax-online-return/01/27577

[macuser_22]

TurboTax would have suggested HOH if you qualified.

Did you first enter the child or related dependent that lives with you that qualifies you for HOH?

You cannot change anything unless the return rejects when  the IRS opens on 2/12.

See box below for HOH requirements:

If you filed, it is like dropping it into the mail - you cannot get it back if accepted by the IRS or state.


To amend your 2020 tax return:

-- First, *wait* to see if your return has been accepted or rejected by the IRS or state. DO NOT do anything until you receive the accept or reject e-mail.

The IRS will not open to accept or reject return until Feb 12, so wait.

-- If rejected, you can correct and re-send your return.

-- If accepted you should *wait* until your return has been processed and you receive your refund or conformation that any tax due has been paid. (If you file an amended return while you first return is being processed it can cause extended delays for both returns if two returns are in the system at the same time). In addition, if the IRS makes any change on your original return, you might end up having to amend the amendment – a sticky process that can take a year or more).

-- Then you can start the amend process.

It is suggested that it be mailed certified with return receipt (or other tracking service) to verify that the IRS receives it. That is the only proof of mailing that the IRS will accept.

-- Amended returns can be mailed or e-filed - allow 8-12 weeks - can take up to 16 weeks (4 months) for processing.


See this TurboTax FAQ for help with amending:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894381-how-to-amend-change-or-correct-a-return-you-already-filed

You can check the status of your amended return here but allow 3 weeks after filing for it to show up:
https://www.irs.gov/filing/wheres-my-amended-return

Head of Household is for UNMARRIED taxpayers with a related dependent or married and have not lived with their spouse at anytime during the last 6 months of the tax year AND has a child, stepchild or foster child that can be a dependent.
=======================================
You may be able to file as head of household if you meet all the following requirements.

1. You are unmarried or “considered unmarried” on the last day of the year.
(You could be considered unmarried if your spouse did not live in your home at any time during the last 6 months of the tax year).
If you were considered married for part of the year and lived in a community property state, special rules may apply in determining your income and expenses. See Publication 555 for more information.

2. You paid more than half 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) - a parent does not have to live with you to be a qualifying person.

4. If the qualifying person is your qualifying relative, their gross income must have been less than $4,300 (do not include non taxable Social Security) and you provided more than 1/2 of their support

5. You must be able to claim the dependent for the qualifying person except in the case of divorced or separated parents (that lived apart) and the noncustodial parent is claiming the dependent.

A Qualifying person is either:
A qualifying child or a qualifying closely related relative and meets certain other requirements, however if you are considered unmarried it can only be your child, stepchild, or foster child.

See IRS Publication 501 for more information about who is a qualifying person and a worksheet to determine the cost of keeping up a home.

See IRS Pub 501 for more information
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p501#en_US_2018_publink1000220775

[xmandao]

I qualified for the child tax credit, earned income credit, and stimulus check. 

So I don't know exactly how much, or if any at all extra. The number is a pretty good and. But it's my first time filing  because I allowed a family member to claim me in exchange for rent. 

But if it's even possible to get more than I am getting now I will amend it. 

[macuser_22]

---

@xmandao wrote:

I qualified for the child tax credit, earned income credit, and stimulus check. 

So I don't know exactly how much, or if any at all extra. The number is a pretty good and. But it's my first time filing  because I allowed a family member to claim me in exchange for rent. 

But if it's even possible to get more than I am getting now I will amend it. 

---

You misunderstand the tax law.    You CANNOT *let* anybody claim you.    IF they are qualified to claim you they can and you have not say in it at all.   If you CAN be a dependent of another ta payer then YOU are  not eligible for any of those credits.     A dependent cannot have a dependent.     However, if you earned enough money to qualify the  it is unlikely that ANYBODY could claim you.

There are two types of dependents with different rules.  If you fail any of the tests below, then whoever claimed you needs to amend and remove you before the IRS catches it and they owe a lot of interest and penalties.

---Tests To Be a Qualifying Child---
(Must pass ALL of these tests)

NOTE: If a child passes all of these tests he must say “yes” on his/her own tax return (if he/she files one) that another taxpayer CAN claim him/her as a dependent even if they DO NOT claim him/her)

1. The child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother,stepsister, or a descendant of any of them.

2. The child must be (a) under age 19 at the end of 2020, (b) under age 24 at the end of 2020 and a full-time student* for any part of 5 months of 2020, or (c) any age if permanently and totally disabled and must be younger than you (or your spouse if filing jointly).

3. The child must have lived with you for more than half of the year (There are exceptions for temporary absences such as school, illness, business, vacation, military service).

4. The child must not have provided more than half of his or her own support for the year.
See Worksheet 3-1. Worksheet for Determining Support
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p17#en_US_2020_publink1000171012

5. If the child meets the rules to be a qualifying child of more than one person, you must be the person entitled to claim the child as a qualifying child.

6. The child is not filing a joint return.

7. The child must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. resident alien, U.S. national, or a resident of Canada or Mexico

*A full-time student is a student who is enrolled for the number of hours or courses the school considers to be full-time attendance during some part of each of any 5 calendar months of the year.

See IRS Publication 17 for more information.

https://www.irs.gov/publications/p17

---Tests to be a Qualifying Relative (& Unrelated Persons)---
(Must meet ALL of these tests to be a dependent)

1. The person cannot be your qualifying child or the qualifying child of any other taxpayer.

2. The person either must be related to you, or must live with you all year (all 365 days - There are exceptions for temporary absences such as school, illness, business, vacation, military service) as a member of your household.

3. The person's gross income for the year must be less than $4,300 (tax-exempt income, such as certain social security benefits, is not included in gross income)

4. You must provide more than half of the person's total support** for the year.

5. The person is not filing a joint return.

In any case, the person must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. resident alien, U.S. national, or a resident of Canada or Mexico

The above is simplified; see IRS Publication 501 for full information.
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p501#en_US_2018_publink1000220939

** Worksheet for determining support
https://www.irs.gov/publications/p501#en_US_2019_publink1000226268