[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":7},["ShallowReactive",2],{"faq-standard-12":3},{"rec_id":4,"title":5,"text":6},"12","Head of Household","Menu Path: \u003Ci>Personal > Filing Status\u003C/i>\n\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\nEnter on the \u003Ci>Filing Status\u003C/i> screen.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr> \nIn general, if you aren't married and your child or a relative lives with you for more than half of the year, you can claim the \u003Ci>Head of Household\u003C/i> filing status. The \u003Ci>Head of Household\u003C/i> filing status will usually give you a larger refund than using the \u003Ci>Single\u003C/i> filing status because the \u003Ci>Head of Household\u003C/i> filing status gets a higher standard deduction and lower tax rates than the \u003Ci>Single\u003C/i> filing status.\n\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\n\u003Ci>Head of Household\u003C/i> status is for unmarried people who paid over half the cost of keeping up a home for a qualifying person, such as your child who lived with you. The qualifying person must have lived with you for more than half of the year. A qualifying person is considered to live with you even during temporary absences such as school, vacation, business, medical care, military service, or detention in a juvenile facility.\n\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\nIf the qualifying person is your parent whom you can claim as a dependent, your parent does not have to live with you in your home. For example, if you pay more than half the cost of keeping your mother in her home or a care facility and she is your dependent, you can file as \u003Ci>Head of Household\u003C/i> even if she doesn't live with you.\n\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\nIf you are divorced and your child lives with you for more than half of the year and you meet all the other rules for claiming the \u003Ci>Head of Household\u003C/i> filing status, you can claim the \u003Ci>Head of Household\u003C/i> filing status even if your ex-spouse is claiming your child as a dependent on his or her tax return.\n\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\nThe qualifying person needs to be a relative. You can't claim the \u003Ci>Head of Household\u003C/i> filing status for an unrelated person such as an unmarried partner or roommate even if you can claim the unrelated person as a dependent on your tax return.\n\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\nIf you have a complex situation that isn't covered by the basic rules mentioned above, please refer to IRS \u003Ca href=\"https://www.freetaxusa.com/taxes2025/formdownload?sid=4&form=f_pub_501.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Publication 501\u003Cspan class=\"append_pdf\"> \u003C/span>\u003C/a> for the full set of rules on who can claim the \u003Ci>Head of Household\u003C/i> filing status.",1777391344387]