This article was updated for Tax Year 2023, last edited on December 20th, 2023.
If you’re married, usually the Head of Household status isn’t an option for you unless all of the following are true:
You will not be filing jointly with your spouse.
You were separated from your spouse and they were not living with you for the last 6 months of the tax year.
Please note that temporary absences such as illnesses, being away at school, vacation, business, or military service generally do not count.
Your home was your dependent’s main home for more than half the year.
You paid more than half the cost of running your household during the year.
You can read more about the Head of Household filing status here.
If you’re still unsure what filing status to use, you can check out our article about filing statuses. You can also use the IRS tool What is My Filing Status? and Publication 501, Dependents, Standard Deductions and Filing Information for more information.
Additional Resources:
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