Can I claim head of household for paying child support even if I cant claim the child as a dependent?

Question

What if the child does live with me half the time but it is the other parents turn to claim the child as a dependent. If you file head of household it ask for a quailifing child. I support the child and provide a home for 1/2 the year.

Answer 1

no. .

Answer 2

If the child lives with you for more than half the year and you pay more than half the cost of keeping up the home, he or she is probably your "qualifying child" for filing as head of household, even if the other parent gets to take the exemption that year under the special rules for separated and divorced parents.

If the child does NOT live with you for over half the year but you are allowed to take the exemption under those rules, the child is NOT your qualifying child for Head of Household status.

Paying child support has no affect on your taxes.

And it's OVER half the year that counts. Count the days to see if the child lived with you for at least 183 days.

If a child is not your dependent but is your qualifying child for head of household filing status, you enter their name on the line next to where you check HofH.

Answer 3

No you can not. Head of Household is for people providing a home for children.

Answer 4

you can do it that way, if you want to be audited by the IRS. if its the other parents turn to claim the child (head of household), then its their turn.


TAX INFO
http://www.taxsites.com/index.htm
http://www.divorceinfo.com/taxes.htm
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc354.html
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc422.html
http://www.irs.gov/faqs/faq4-5.html
http://www.irs.gov/localcontacts/index.html
http://www.irs.gov/advocate/index.html
http://www.irs.gov/publications/p525/index.html
http://www.fms.treas.gov/faq/offsets_childsupport.html