I filed head of Household by accident instead of single, what do I do

[Fairyjong808]

I still live with my parents but I have a child of my own, I don’t remember putting head of the household but when I check my return form it says I did ? Will I affect my parents return since I filed under their address? Or am I okay? I’m really stressed 

[Opus 17]

You can't file HOH unless you pay more than half the total expenses of the household.  You probably need to file an amended return to change to single, but your parents' tax return will not be affected.  This mistake only comes back on you.  

Now, there is a much longer answer having to do with "what is a household?"  For example, suppose you have a 3 bedroom apartment and you rent one of the bedrooms to your best friend.  Even though you live under the same roof, you and your child can be considered a separate "household" from your friend.  It depends on things like do you eat together, play together, take joint trips, share food and other household expenses; or do you live separate lives and she just pays rent.  If you are separate households, then you only have to consider if you pay more than half the expenses of your household, and you don't have to think about your friend's income and expenses.

So we can also ask, are you and your child a separate household from your parents?  It depends on the circumstances.  Maybe you really do live separate lives, and you have a separate pantry for your food, and your parents don't take care of your child when you are out, and you take separate vacations.   This seems unlikely for grandparents, but it is at least possible that some people might live that way.

It also matters who pays the household expenses, not just who has more money.  Suppose you pay most of the household expenses because your parents spend all their money on fancy cars, expensive wine, trips to the casino, or medical expenses (which are considered personal expenses and not household expenses).  You might pay more than half the combined expenses even though they have more money.  Or suppose your parents are retired on social security and you really do pay more than half the total expenses.  Then HOH would be perfectly fine.

Household expenses are rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance for the home or renters insurance, repairs and maintenance, property taxes, and food eaten in the home.  Clothing, travel, medical expenses, food eaten outside the home, and entertainment are considered personal expenses and not household expenses.

So the long answer is, it depends on facts and circumstances, and sometimes a person living with their parents and their child will qualify to be head of household, either because there are two separate household or because the person really does pay more than half the total expenses.

The short answer is, most of the time, someone in your situation will not pay more than half the household expenses and does not qualify.

But you have to analyze the facts and circumstances.  If you decide you are allowed to file HOH under the rules, write down your reasons and any proof, and keep it for 3 years in case of audit. 

[SharonD007]

It depends. There are three rules that determine if you can use the Head of Household (HOH) filing status and the taxpayer must meet all of them. To be considered a head of household, you must file an individual return, be considered unmarried, not be claimed on someone else’s tax return and be able to claim a qualifying dependent on your return (See Rules for Claiming a Dependent on Your Tax Return.). If you have met these requirements, you are qualified to use the HOH filing status as long as your parent’s do not claim you or your child as dependents.

Please see the TurboTax article What Are Dependents? To ensure that you are not a dependent of your parents and that your child is your dependent. TurboTax has another great article Guide to Filing As Head Of Household with additional information.

You can also click on the IRS Pub 501link for an Explanation of Head of Household Filing Status.

[leeloo]

You must pay over half of the cost of maintaining the home. Here's something from the IRS to help you determine whether or not you do so.

Keeping Up a Home

The home you live in most of the time is your main home and can be a house, houseboat, mobile home, cooperative apartment, or condominium.

Include in the cost of upkeep expenses such as:

• Rent,
• Mortgage interest,
• Real estate taxes,
• Insurance on the home,
• Repairs,
• Utilities, and
• Food eaten in the home.

If you used payments you received under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or other public assistance programs to pay part of the cost of keeping up your home, you cannot count them as money you paid. However, you must include them in the total cost of keeping up your home to figure if you paid over half the cost.

Do not include in the cost of upkeep expenses such as:

• Clothing,
• Education,
• Medical treatment,
• Vacations,
• Life insurance, or
• Transportation.

Do not include the rental value of a home you own or the value of your services or those of a member of your household. Also, do not include any government or charitable assistance you received because of your temporary relocation due to the storms, tornadoes, or flooding in a Midwestern disaster area.

[GeorgeM777]

The links in the posts that relate to Head of Household filing status are very helpful.  Review those carefully and if you meet the requirements of HoH, then it appears there is nothing to change on your return.  However, if you feel that you must file as Single, rather than HoH, then before amending your return you will need to wait until such return has been accepted by the IRS.  You can amend a return only after it has been filed and accepted by the IRS.  E-filed returns are considered filed when you have received notice from the government that your return has been accepted.  If your return has been rejected, it is not considered filed.

Mailed returns are considered filed the date you post your return.

When you are ready to amend--assuming you need to amend--you can access your previously filed return, in TurboTax online, from the TurboTax home page.  Scroll down the screen to the section Your tax return & documents.  If you have used TurboTax CD/download, then you can amend your previously filed return by selecting Other Tax Situations, and then scroll down to Other Tax Forms. 

@Fairyjong808