Can I file if I only worked the last three months of the year? And will I be eligible for head of household or child credit?

[SweetieJean]

Are you married?  Do you live with another adult?  What is your estimated 2016 income?

[rbaldassano]

You asked: 

Can I file if I only worked the last three months of the year? And will I be eligible for head of household or child credit?

You must file regardless of how much of the year you worked. If you made less than the minimum amount for the year to have had to had taxes taken out of your pay, then you will get a return. Don't let that money go unclaimed by the federal government, it is your money after all.

You should claim your worked income as well as any unemployment / welfare / other income you made during the year. 

Head of household is for the primary person who lives at the address. if you are only 1 person, then no, you have to file single, otherwise it depends on your status in the household. 

Child tax credit is based on 

A) your income level

B) If you have children that you can legally claim as dependents

C) If there are other circumstances that modify your eligibility for the tax credit. 

[VolvoGirl]

Even if you are not required to file (due to low income) you would want to file to get back any withholding taken out.

[SweetieJean]

@rbaldassano
Welfare is not taxable.

[Hal_Al]

Q. Can I file if I only worked the last three months of the year? 

A. The filing requirement is based on total income for the year, not time worked. Even if you are under the filing threshold, you may be eligible for refundable tax credits, that are based on your eligibility to claim a Qualifying Child dependent*. 

Q. Will I be eligible for head of household?

A.  HoH is not based on time worked, but on having a qualified dependent (usually a child) and providing more than half the household support for the home  that child lives in.

Q. Will I be eligible for child credit?

A. There is no "Child Credit". There is a Child Tax Credit (CTC) and a separate Earned Income credit (EIC). The EIC is greatly increased if you can claim qualifying child(ren) as dependents. Hence, it is sometimes referred to as a child based credit. If you can claim a qualifying child dependent, you can claim the CTC. The child tax credit  is limited to your tax liability. The CTC is a non-refundable credit and can only reduce your income tax to 0, It can not help you beyond eliminating your tax liability. But, if you have more than $3000 of earned income, some or all of it is usually given back to you thru the "Additional Child tax credit". The ACTC is basically 15% of your earned income over $3000.

*Others have asked, do you live with another adult. A child may be the qualifying child, for tax purposes,  of any relative he lives with. So the question may not be limited to can YOU file; but should be expanded to who should claim your child.