How to File Taxes as Head of Household
Filing as head of household is a special tax filing that an unmarried person that has a child in their home at least half of the time can file. By filing as head of household, you fall into a wide tax bracket, which allows you to take out a larger personal exemption. By taking out this larger exemption, you increase the amount of your refund.
Be aware that your child must live
in your residence 50 percent or more and lived with you at least
half of the previous year in order to qualify as head of household
filing. In addition, if you are caring for an elderly parent that is
your dependent you can file head of household even if the parent
does not live with you.Keep in mind that you can only
claim that you were unmarried if you were divorced or legally
separated by December 31. If you were still married at the end of
the tax year, you cannot file for head of household. In addition, if
you were living away from your spouse for six month of the present
tax year, you can file as head of household.Go to the Internal
Revenue Service website to see if you qualify to file as head of
household. There are several stipulations that the IRS has that you
need to meet. If you do meet all the criteria, file your income tax
and check mark the box that indicates you are filing for head of
household. You can file your taxes via an accountant, on your own,
or with an online software such as TurboTax.