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How to Check your Head of Household Status?

You may notice a dependent you claimed last year doesn't qualify as your dependent this year. That could be because this person doesn't meet the IRS criteria to be claimed for 2012. This year we've made it easier to determine who you can claim as a dependent by asking you simple questions about who counts as your dependent to ensure they meet the IRS "tests" for qualifying.

Your filing status in TurboTax

Interview questions in TurboTax will guide you in determining your filing status. The first time through the Personal Info screens you’ll enter information about you and the qualifying person (in the dependent screens). Then after the Live in Another State screens, you reach the We’ve Chosen a Filing Status for You screen. If everything you entered meets the IRS tests, it should show we recommend the Head of Household status.

If you expected to qualify and don’t see this, go through the interview again to be sure you answered the questions correctly. Also see more about qualifying for the Head of Household Filing Status in IRS Publication 501 – Exemptions, Standard Deductions, and Filing Information.

If you see Head of Household and think it may be in error, go through the interview again to be sure you answered the questions correctly.

How to review your filing status questions

Once the filing status is shown in TurboTax, review your answers by: 

  1. Under the Personal Info tab, on the Your Filing Status line click Edit
  2. On the Review Your Filing Status screen, check the Change my filing status button
  3. A drop down shows several options; at the bottom, click the Easy Guide button
  4. On the four Easy Guide screens, review the questions and your answers and click Continue
  5. On the last Easy Guide screen click Continue, then step through the rest of the qualifying screens for Head of Household.

If you/ve answered the questions and still don't see the Head of Hosehold filing status, then you or your dependent do not qualify under the new IRS rules. See IRS Publication 501 for more information about qualifying rules.

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