Skip to main content
Level 1
April 2, 2024
Question

widower

my wife passed away in 2021 and i filed jointly and it says you can file as surviving widower the following 2 years  i have my custody of my granddaughter who lives with me all year but why does it tells me head of house hold

    2 replies

    Level 15
    April 2, 2024

    A granddaughter qualifies you for Head of Household but not for Qualifying Widower. 

    DMarkM1
    Alumni - Intuit
    April 2, 2024

    As noted by Bsch4477 and in IRS Publication 501 to be eligible to file as a Qualifying Surviving Spouse, your dependent who lived with you all year in a home you paid more than 1/2 the cost to maintain must be your child or step child.  A grandchild will qualify you for head of household status. 

    **Say "Thanks" by clicking the thumb icon in a post. **Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer"