How to File Taxes as Head of Household

Video Transcript

"Today, we're here to talk about filing taxes as head of household. If you can claim head of household status, you will normally realize a little higher return than if you were filing single. There are several guidelines that you have to meet in order to be considered head of household. One is you are either unmarried or considered unmarried on the last day of the year. The second stipulation is you have to have paid more than half the cost of keeping up a home for the year. The third stipulation is a qualified person would've had to live with you for more than half of the year. The IRS has explanations of what a qualified person is. It doesn't necessarily mean a child. It could also be a dependent parent or there's other circumstances that would apply. But if you look at the IRS guidelines surrounding qualified person, that will give you a little better indication as to whether or not you might be eligible to file as head of household. Another thing you need to be aware of is if you happen to live in a community property state, there are some guidelines that surround filing head of household, so you may want to research a little bit before you jump in and click that box."