Head of Household Filing Status 2022
Head of
Household
for 2022
This Head of Household tool is for tax year 2022 and helps you find out if you qualify to file as Head of Household.
Simply answer few simple questions if you qualify as the Head of Household filing status on your 2022 tax return. Generally, Head of Household is the best filing status for single parents or singles in general with qualifying relatives as dependents.
The eFile Tax App will automatically apply the higher standard deduction and help reduce your taxes as you enter your income and other tax information.
You can prepare and e-File your 2022 tax returns until mid October. After that date you can only file via paper returns. Find all the 2022 tax year forms and tools here that can assist you in preparing your 2022 return. You have until the 2026 tax deadline to claim 2022 tax refunds by filing your 2022 return by that date. After that date your 2022 tax refund would expire.
Claim Head of Household
Attention: Compared to the single filing status, the head of household filing status will get you lower tax rates and a higher standard deduction. It will also help you qualify more easily for tax credits. Many singles with dependents qualify as heads of household - use this free Dependent tool to see who you can claim on your 2022 Return. Additionally, other unmarried people and, with some exception, legally married people with dependents might qualify as head of household. Generally, to qualify to file as a head of household, you have to be unmarried and you have to support a dependent or qualifying relative. To find out the best filing status for you, calculate your refund or balance due by using our free Tax Refund Calculator 2022.
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 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. 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 might or might not 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. Then, prepare and e-file with eFile.com and let the tax app select the best filing status for you.
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, your tax may be lower, and you may be able to claim the Earned Income Credit.
Find out how to file as head of household and see detailed requirements to file as HOH; see more details on IRS filing statuses.
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