If I qualify for Head of Household status on federal but don't on the Calif state return, can I file different statuses?

YES Federal and state tax laws are often different. Whether Turbotax can handle this I don't know.  for example, Federal says if you live apart from your spouse for the last 6 months of 2020 and you meet the other Federal HOH rules you qualify. California laws for being considered unmarried do not have a similar rule.  thus you would qualify for HOH for Federal but not California.

 

@Mike9241   Please see other posts from this user who is confused about how to file as HOH on a federal return.   His facts change from one post to another.   In particular see this excerpt from one of them:

 

"On federal if you are caring and paying for a child who lives with you, but with whom you have no relation to (eg, a significant other's child from a previous marriage) you qualify as Head of Household,.  "

 

In  a different post he refers to having a "spouse" so we do not know if this is a married couple and if this is his bio-child or a step-child, or if the "spouse" is actually a girl friend.

 

Confusing----and too hard for us to answer with changing pertinent facts.

 

"In  a different post he refers to having a "spouse" "

 

That's really odd.   What are you talking about?   I  would never say I had a spouse.   Because I have never had a spouse.   Please read things carefully.    

Oh---I see it now---you added on to someone else's thread who mentioned a spouse.   But anyhow--hope you now see the criteria for filing federal as HOH and have that cleared up.