Do You Qualify For Head Of Household?

To qualify for head of household status, you must pay more than half of the cost of keeping up a home for the year. You can determine whether you paid more than half of the cost of keeping up a home by using the following worksheet.

Cost of Keeping Up a Home :

Property taxes
Morgage interest expense
Rent
Utility charges
Upkeep and repairs
Property insurance
Food consumed on the premises
Other household expenses

If the total amount you paid is more than the amount others paid, you meet the requirement of paying more than half the cost of keeping up the home.
Costs you include: the cost of upkeep expenses such as rent, mortgage interest, real estate taxes, insurance on the home, repairs, utilities, and food eaten in the home.
If you used payments you received under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or other public assistance programs to pay part of the cost of keeping up your home, you cannot count them as money you paid. However, you must include them in the total cost of keeping up your home to figure if you paid over half the cost.
Costs you do not include: the cost of upkeep expenses such as clothing, education, medical treatment, vacations, life insurance, or transportation. Also, do not include the rental value of a home you own or the value of your services or those of a member of your household.


There are so many nuances that the average taxpayers negates to include when preparing tax returns. Before you cost yourself money, contact a licensed tax preparer to help prepare your returns.