Head of Household Filing Status

We are all aware of the two basic filing statuses: single and married filing jointly. But what if you aren't married but maintain a home for other people? There is another choice for both federal and California - Head of Household. If you meet the requirements for HOH, using it will save you money!

To qualify for HOH, you need to have either a qualified child or other dependent.

To be a qualified child, your natural, adopted, step or grand child must be

1. younger than 19 or 24 if a full time student, and
2. a citizen or US, Mexico or Canada resident, and
3. resided with you more than 1/2 of the year, and
4. you provided more than 1/2 the support for the child.

Finally, if you maintained a household (paid for more than 1/2 of the expenses) for a parent that did not live with you during the year, you qualify for HOH status.

If you are currently single, qualifying for HOH status can save you as much as 30% off your total tax bill. We have a flowchart that details the items described here to provide you with the decision tree determination of HOH status. As always, please call (949-683-8111) or email us at info@southcountycpa.com if you have any questions. We are here to help.