Head of Household: Guide to Filing Taxes
It's that time of the year again, and you're wondering what to do with your federal income tax return. You may be filing as a head of household, which means you paid more than half the costs associated with maintaining a home and may be eligible for various tax deductions and tax credits.
If this is true for you, then make sure to read this guide on filing taxes. This article will discuss what the status means, its qualifications, and other relevant information about it, such as how to file your taxes, claim deductions, and understand your tax situation.
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Who is Eligible to Be the Head of Household?
In the IRS rule book, to qualify as a head of household, there are certain requirements you must meet that pertain to marital status, cost coverage for the home and the presence of a qualifying dependent.
To begin with, you must be single or be regarded as single as of the last day of the tax year. If you satisfy the following requirements, the IRS will consider you to be single for federal income tax purposes, which can impact your taxable income and tax rate:
You have a divorce or a separation agreement.
During the final six months of the year, your spouse didn't reside with you.
You and your spouse must file your tax returns separately.
The IRS will treat you as married for federal income tax purposes if the circumstances surrounding your separation are transitory, which can affect your ability to file your return as head of household. Military deployment, residing in a medical treatment facility, or enrolling in college are examples of temporary separations that qualify.
Second, you must have paid more than half the cost of 'keeping up a home' for the year, including expenses like mortgage interest, state and local taxes, and charitable donations that can be tax deductible. The IRS bases this on the cost of actual home expenses, such as mortgage, rent, utilities, property taxes, groceries and house repairs.
Clothing, education fees, medical costs, vacations, life insurance, and transportation are not included as part of home expenses. If you pay more than half of your family monthly expenses out of your own salary or savings, you can still file your taxes as head of household even if you receive child support or alimony, potentially qualifying for the earned income tax credit.
The last requirement is that you must spend more than half the year living at home with a qualifying dependent. Many people who register as heads of household have children as their qualifying dependent.
You may claim your biological child, stepchild, foster child, sibling, stepsibling, half-sibling, or a descendant of any of these individuals, such as your grandchild, as a qualifying child, impacting your adjusted gross income and eligibility for refundable credit.
Head of Household Qualifications
The following are the three essential requirements to qualify as a head of household:
1. You Are Unmarried, Recently Divorced, Or Legally Separated From A Spouse
You must have spent the last six months of the year living apart from your spouse. Separations resulting from one spouse being away at school, working elsewhere, or in military service do not qualify.
2. You Must Contribute More Than Half Of The Household Expenses
The IRS Publication 501 states that expenses constitute rent, mortgage interest payments, property taxes, insurance payments, maintenance, and utilities, which can all affect your tax deductions and tax liability. The following items are not included: clothing, education, medical treatment, vacations, life insurance, and transportation.
3. A "Qualified Dependent" Must Reside In Your Home For More Than Half A Year
Children, stepchildren, adopted or foster children, grandchildren, or siblings may be considered dependents when calculating how much tax you owe. The youngster must also be younger than 19 years old (or under the age of 24 if a full-time student) to be a qualifying child, which can help you claim deductions and tax credits.
If the relative is fully and permanently incapacitated, regardless of age, you can also include them as a qualified dependent, which may reduce your tax liability.
However, if the dependent is a sibling, they must be your age or younger and have an annual gross income of less than $4,300 to qualify, which impacts your federal income taxes and how much money you owe. The gross income test does not apply to a qualifying child but applies to a qualifying relative.
A parent, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, step sister, son, daughter, grandchild, and other relatives such as father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law could be seen as qualifying relatives as well, impacting your taxable income.
If you pay for half of their housing expenses, especially if they reside in a nursing facility, you can claim your parents as a dependent even if they do not live with you. The same is true for a college-aged youngster. Again, they cannot have a gross income of more than $4,300.
Tax Returns
Once you have determined you meet the three criteria for filing as head of household, either an IRS Form 1040A or Form 1040 to file your tax return and claim this status, ensuring you include all necessary tax documents. To indicate your status, check the "Head of Household" box after entering your personal information.
Tax Benefits of Filing as Head of Household
Filing as a Head of Household has advantages such as a higher standard deduction and lower tax brackets, which can help you determine how much tax you owe and potentially reduce the amount of money you owe, which can lead to a larger tax refund and reduced tax liability.
For the 2023 tax year, the standard deduction for a head of household will be adjusted for inflation. It's important to reference the updated figures from the IRS or consult with a tax preparer to ensure you're using the most current information to ensure accurate calculations of your adjusted gross income and taxable income during tax season. It is less than the standard deduction for married couples and survivors. The tax rates are also more advantageous.
If you are thinking about filing as a Head of Household, be sure you understand the rules, including how to claim deductions and tax credits, and ensure you meet them to avoid issues with the federal government. The IRS will almost certainly scrutinize these to ensure that you genuinely qualify.
The Bottom Line
There are many ways you can complete your tax filing, from hiring a tax professional to using tax preparation software or doing it all online through services like IRS Free File. We hope that our guide has helped clear up any questions you may have had about what is required for each type of taxpayer and which methods will work best for your situation.
If you're under the head of household category and need to create an invoice, or you would like to learn more about how this status affects your taxes, you can head over to the IRS website, use IRS certified volunteers, or call their helpline at 800-829-1040 for more information.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What If I Filed Single Instead Of Head Of Household?
If you filed single instead of head-of-household, then any income you should have reported on your income tax return will not be accounted for, affecting your tax refund and potential tax credits. If this happens to you, there are a few ways to fix it:
File an amended return with the correct information and pay additional federal income taxes if needed to avoid penalties.
Fill out Form 4868, which is an automatic extension to file for those who need more time.
If married, you generally cannot file as head of household, but would need to file married filing jointly or married filing separately, depending on your specific circumstances, such as higher taxable incomes or more than one job.
Am I Head Of Household If I Rent?
If you are not claiming a home as your own, but if you pay rent on the property and live in it for at least half of the year, then yes, you can file your taxes as head of household and potentially claim tax deductions for rental property. You can claim head-of-household status if you pay more than half the total cost of keeping up the home for a year, even if you don't own the home.
What Is The Minimum Income For Filing As The Head Of Household?
For those under 65, the minimum earnings must be $18,650 to file your taxes as head of household and meet the filing deadline. Meanwhile, ages 65 and above must earn at least $20,600. The IRS sets specific income filing thresholds for different filing statuses, ages and other factors annually. Make sure the income thresholds for 2023 is accurate.
Which Is Better, Filing As A Single Individual Or As A Head Of Household?
Most people who file their taxes as head of household can save money on federal income taxes through various tax credits and tax deductions. However, some exceptions, such as if you have a substantial amount of itemized deductions, would reduce your tax bill more by filing separately than if you filed jointly with another person. It might be better to list yourself as single and not specify a spouse on your W-2 form if this is the case.
Can I Get In Trouble For Filing As Head Of Household?
If your filing status is head of household, you might wonder about the risks of making a mistake. Unfortunately, heads of households may face the consequences if they fail to file or provide incorrect information on their taxes.
However, it’s important to remember that these penalties can be avoided by following IRS guidelines carefully when filling out your taxes.
What Do I File If My Spouse Filed Head Of Household?
If one spouse files as head of household, the other spouse cannot take a standard deduction and must file using the married filing separately status with a $0 standard deduction, unless they qualify for another filing status.
Do Head Of Households Receive Stimulus Checks?
This is a question many people are asking themselves as they go to file their taxes this year. The answer is yes, but it will depend on how much money you made last year and what other income sources you had.