I did not work this past year. I receive a VA disability pension. My 16 year old son lives with me. Even though I did not work can I still file head of household ?

[taxreturn160268]

He lives with me. I pay for my own household separate from his father. His father never claims him because he just never does his taxes.

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

VA disability income is not reported on a tax return.  If you have no other income of any kind to report on a tax return then there is no reason to file a return.

[SweetieJean]

and no benefit to doing so.

[Hal_Al]

If you qualify, Head of household gives you a bigger standard deduction and lower tax rates than MFS, but not MFJ.. The main requirements for Head of Household are: a taxpayer that

1) is single or did not live with their spouse at any time during the last half of the tax year.

2) has at least one closely related dependent (usually a child) that lived with the taxpayer for more than half the year

3) pays over half of the support of the household expenses, including rent / mortgage...

Note that it is not dependent on having earned income (working).