Head of Household Filing Status 2020
Head Of
Household
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- Firstly, what is a HOH?
- Could you be a HOH?
- Do you qualify as a HOH?
- Or, do you want to be a HOH?
Is a HOH someone who dates everyone but you? Something Santa Claus says three times? Is it a river named after a Native American tribe? How about an expression commonly used after "Heave?"
It might be all of those things... but the HOH we're talking about is a Head of Household. It's a great tax return filing status that can pay off when you e-File your tax return!
How to Qualify as Head of Household
Attention: Compared to the single filing status, the Head of Household filing status will get taxpayers get lower tax rates and a higher standard deduction, plus qualify more easily for tax credits. Many singles with dependents qualify as Heads of Household - use this free DEPENDucator to see who you can claim on your 2020 Return. Additionally, other unmarried people and, with some exception, legally married people with dependents might qualify as Head of Household. Generally, however, to qualify to file or e-File as a Head of Household, you have to be unmarried and you have to support a dependent or qualifying relative.
Exceptions:
- If you live apart from your spouse and meet certain requirements - even if you aren't divorced or legally separated - you might file as head of household. Should you qualify to file as head of household instead of as married filing separately, your standard deduction will be higher. Plus, your tax amount overall may be lower, and you might be able to claim the earned income credit.
- Even if you were married at the end of a tax year, and one spouse is a US citizen or resident alien of the US and the other spouse is a nonresident alien, you can choose to treat the nonresident as a US resident. This also includes cases if one of you is a US nonresident alien at the beginning of the tax year, but a resident alien at the end of the tax year while the other other is a nonresident alien at the end of the year. If you treat your nonresident alien spouse as a US resident alien, you may be able to use head of household filing status. Please use the tool below. As Head of Household, you must pay more than half the cost of maintaining a household for certain dependents or relatives other than your nonresident alien spouse.
Who Is a Qualifying Person?
It can be tricky to figure out if someone is your Qualifying Person. If you have a dependent, they may also count as your Qualifying Person. A dependent is not always a Qualifying Person and you don't necessarily have to claim a Qualifying Person as a dependent.
Confused? Don't worry, we've made it easy for you! Just use the free Head of Household tool on this page. If you still need to file a Tax Year 2020 Tax Return, you can access the 2020 Federal IRS 1040 Forms here. You can complete previous tax year forms conveniently online here on eFile.com and sign them online electronically before you download, print and mail them the proper mailing address, based on your state residency.
How to File as Head of Household
If you live apart from your spouse and meet certain requirements - even if you aren't divorced or legally separated - you might file as head of household. In the case you qualify as HOH instead of as married filing separately, your standard deduction will be higher. Also, your tax may be lower, and you may be able to claim the earned income credit.
See how to how to file as Head of Household and see detailed requirements to file as HOH.
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