Turbo tax is defaulting to Single instead of Head of Household

[horneric]

I am having an issuing with filing status. My daughter is 18, a full time HS student, lived with me the whole year, is unmarried and did not pay her own living expenses. I am letting her other parent claim her this year but I should still qualify as head of household. Turbo Tax is selecting Single instead of Head of Household. Is this a bug?

[horneric]

From the IRS website "If you are the custodial parent and those rules apply, the child is generally your qualifying child for head of household filing status even though the child isn't a qualifying child you can claim as a dependent."

[Vanessa A]

You are correct, if you are the custodial parent and all the rules for a qualifying child apply, then you can still claim Head of Household even if the other parent is claiming them.   If TurboTax is giving you single instead of Head of Household, then it is likely based on a question you answered that would not allow you to be head of household. 

Go back through your answers in the personal info section for both you and her to be sure that you have properly answered all of the questions.  Pay close attention to the wording for the questions asking if you paid for over half of the household expenses and if your daughter paid for more than half of her living expenses. 

[xmasbaby0]

When you were in MY INFO did you indicate that there is a signed agreement between you and the child's other parent?

Are you the custodial parent?  Do you have an agreement with the other parent to allow the other parent to claim them--due to divorce or that you live apart and share custody?  Did one of you sign a Form 8332?

If there is a signed 8332 then the custodial parent retains the right to file as Head of Household, get earned income credit and the childcare credit.  The non-custodial parent gets the child tax credit for children under the age of 17.   If the child is older than 16, the non-custodial parent gets the $500 credit for other dependents.

If you and the other parent have a signed agreement, you need to indicate in MY INFO that you have such an agreement.

As far as the IRS is concerned, the custodial parent is the one with whom the child spent the most nights during the tax year--at least 183 nights.