I have a dependent, my son. Can I claim head of household if I do not rent or own a home?

Question

I live with my mother, but I earn my own money and support my son. In order to claim head of household, do I need to own the house or rent the house or pay utilities on the house? Or do I not understand head of household completely?

Answer 1

Head of Household filing status required that you pay over half the costs of maintaining a home. This includes mortgage or rent, utilities, repairs, maintenance, and food eaten at home.

If you do not pay over half the costs of maintaining the home you and your son live in, you can file Single and claim your child. You will still be able to get all tax benefits for the dependent child.

Answer 2

Ninasgram is correct. You don't necessarily have to own or rent the home to claim head of household, but if your mom owns or rents the house, and pays the utilities, it would be very unlikely that you're paying more than half the expenses of keeping up the home.

If your mom owns the home and doesn't have a mortgage, that doesn't matter since you'd have to include the fair rental value of the home as part of the cost of keeping up the home.

Answer 3

the mummy can basically declare the baby if a) the particular rule applies and b) she has the two a signed 8332 or a divorce decree that declares she will declare the baby via fact the father can, yet would not. The particular rule state that the father and mom (mutually or one after the different) provided extra advantageous than 0.5 of the baby's help. in the event that they did no longer, the guideline would not stick to. you won't be able to the baby if the baby is a "qualifying baby" for his dad. If the baby lived together with his dad, is below 19 (or below 24 and an entire time pupil) and didn' t furnish extra advantageous than 0.5 of his own help then he's a qualifying baby for the dad and no person else (different than below the particular rule)--on condition that dad isn't a based himself. If dad made below $3400, lived with you all year and you provided extra advantageous than 0.5 of his help (and extra advantageous than 0.5 of the baby's as properly), then and basically then, you could declare the two the dad and the baby as qualifying family individuals individuals. A qualifying family individuals individuals, they decrease your earnings with the aid of $6800. they do no longer, even nonetheless, provide you HOH prestige, the baby tax credit or the excellent suited to declare EIC.