Filing Status: Head of Household

If you qualify to file your tax return as head of household, your tax rate usually will be lower than the rates for single or married filing separately. You will also receive a higher standard deduction than if you file as single or married filing separately. For 2008, the standard deduction for taxpayer who files as single is $5,450, while for the Head of Household it is $8,000.

To file as head of household, you must meet all the following requirements.
1. You are unmarried or "considered unmarried" on the last day of the year. To be considered unmarried, you must have lived separate from your spouse during the last six months of the tax year,
2. You paid more than half the cost of keeping up a home for the year.
3. A "qualifying person" lived with you in the home for more than half the year (except for temporary absences, such as school). However, if the "qualifying person" is your father or mother, he or she does not have to live with you but you must be eligible to claim the parent as dependent.

Nonresident alien spouse
You are considered unmarried for head of household purposes if your spouse was a nonresident alien at any time during the year and you do not choose to treat your nonresident spouse as a resident alien. However, your spouse is not a qualifying person for head of household purposes. You must have another qualifying person and meet the other tests to be eligible to file as a head of household.
You are considered married if you choose to treat your spouse as a resident alien.

Qualifying Person
A Qualifying person is any one who is one of the following:
1. A qualifying child (such as a son, daughter, or grandchild) who lived with you more than half the year and is not married. It is not required that you must claim exemption for the child.
2. A qualifying relative who is your mother or father for whom you can claim an exemption.
3. A qualifying relative (such as a grandparent, brother, or sister) who lived with you for more than half the year and you can claim as exemption for him or her.

More Articles:
Your Filing Status
1. Filing Status for Married
Exemptions for Dependents
1. Requirements for claiming a dependent
2. Child of separated or divorced parents
Filing Requirements
1. Filing Requirement for a Dependent
2. 2009 Filing Requirements
Your Income
1. W2 vs 1099-Misc: Employee vs Independent Contractor
2. Tax Filing by Self Employed Sole Proprietor or Independent Contractor
2. Filing W4 Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate
Your Foreign Income
1. U.S. Citizen or Resident with Foreign Income
2. Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts
Income Adjustment
1. Traditional IRA and Roth IRA
2. Elective Deferrals 401(k) Plans
Your Deductions
1. Itemized Deductions
2. Moving Expenses
3. Student Loan Interest Deduction
U.S. Gift tax and Inheritance Tax
1. The U.S. Gift Tax
2. Tax on Inheritances
Sale of Your Home
1. Profit from the Sale of Your Home
2. Foreclosure or Repossession of Main Home
What's New for 2009
What's New for 2009

Complete List of Articles

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