How to Change to Head of Household on TurboTax

Choosing the right filing status is one of the most significant decisions you make on your tax return, directly shaping your standard deduction and tax rates. Switching to Head of Household, if you qualify, can considerably lower your tax bill. This article will show you exactly how to determine if you’re eligible for this status and walk you through the steps to change it in your TurboTax return.

What Exactly is Head of Household Filing Status?

Head of Household is a filing status for individuals who are not married and who pay for more than half of the household expenses for themselves and a qualifying person. The primary benefits of this status over filing as Single are a much larger standard deduction and more favorable income tax brackets, both of which can lead to paying less in taxes.

Consider the standard deduction amounts for tax year 2023:

• Single: $13,850
• Head of Household: $20,800

That’s an extra $6,950 in deductions you get just by having the correct filing status. This means you can earn more money before you begin to owe taxes. Further, the income tax brackets are wider. For example, the 12% federal income tax bracket for 2023 applies to income up to $44,725 for Single filers, but it extends all the way to $59,850 for those filing as Head of Household. This allows more of your income to be taxed at a lower rate.

The 3 Crucial IRS Tests to Qualify for Head of Household

Before you make any changes in your tax software, you must confirm that you meet all three of the following IRS requirements. If you fail to meet even one, you are not eligible to file as Head of Household.

Test 1: You Must Be Unmarried on the Last Day of the Year

For tax purposes, the IRS considers you unmarried on December 31st if you meet any of the following conditions:

• You were never married.
• You have a final divorce or separate maintenance decree.
• You are a widow or widower, and your spouse passed away in a prior year (not the current tax year you are filing for), and you haven't remarried.

There's also a special rule for those who are still legally married but live apart from their spouse. You can be "considered unmarried" for Head of Household purposes if all the following apply:

• You file a separate tax return from your spouse.
• Your spouse did not live in your home during the last six months of the tax year.
• Your home was the main home of your child, stepchild, or foster child for more than half the year.
• You can claim this child as a dependent.

Test 2: You Paid More Than Half the Cost of Keeping Up a Home

You must have paid over 50% of the total expenses required to run your household for the year. This involves adding up all the costs for the entire household and then determining if your contribution was more than half of that total.

What costs are included?

• Rent or mortgage interest
• Property taxes and homeowner's insurance
• Utilities (electric, gas, water, internet)
• Repairs and maintenance
• Food eaten in the home

What costs are not included?

• Clothing
• Education expenses
• Medical treatments or insurance
• Vacations or entertainment
• Life insurance premiums
• Transportation costs

Example: Jane and her son live in an apartment. Her total household costs for the year (rent, utilities, and groceries) came to $28,000. To meet this test, Jane must prove she personally paid at least $14,001 of those expenses.

Test 3: You Have a Qualifying Person Who Lived with You

A qualifying person, who must have lived with you for more than six months of the year, can be either a "qualifying child" or a "qualifying relative." The rules here are very specific. An important exception is for a dependent parent—they do not have to live with you.

To be a qualifying child, the person must meet four tests:

• Relationship: Must be your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, half-sibling, stepsibling, or a descendant of any of them (like a grandchild or nephew).
• Age: Must be under age 19 at the end of the year, or under 24 if a full-time student for at least five months of the year, or any age if permanently and totally disabled.
• Residency: Must have lived with you for more than half of the year.
• Support: The child cannot have provided more than half of their own financial support for the year.

To be a qualifying relative, the person must meet four different tests:

• Not a Qualifying Child: They cannot be your qualifying child or the qualifying child of anyone else.
• Relationship or Household Member: They must either live with you all year as a member of your household or be related to you in a specific way as defined by the IRS (such as a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle).
• Gross Income: Their gross income for the year must be less than the personal exemption amount (for 2023, this is $4,700).
• Support: You must have provided more than half of their total support for the year.

The Parent Exception: As mentioned, a key exception applies to a dependent parent. If your parent is your qualifying relative, they do not need to live with you. However, you must pay more than half the cost of keeping up their main home for the entire year. This often applies to adult children paying for a parent's own home or assisted living facility.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Your Filing Status in TurboTax

Changing your filing status in TurboTax is less about flipping a switch and more about answering the software’s questions correctly. Let’s say you started your return and mistakenly indicated you were "Single," but now realize you may qualify for Head of Household. Here’s how to correct it.

1. Sign In and Go to 'My Info' (Personal Info). When you log into your TurboTax account, your main navigation panel will be on the left. The first section is typically called "My Info" or "Personal Info." This is where the core biographical details that determine your filing status are stored. Click on it to begin.
2. Review Your Marital Status and Dependent Information. In the Personal Info section, TurboTax will show you a summary of your details. Look for the part that asks about your marital status. Click "Edit" next to this section. The system will ask you, "What was your marital status on December 31, 2023?" Make sure you have the correct answer selected here (e.g., "Single," "Divorced," etc.).
3. Answer the Screening Questions Correctly. This is the key step. TurboTax's smart interview process will ask you a series of follow-up questions to determine if Head of Household is a possibility for you. These questions are designed to check if you meet the three IRS tests. You can expect questions like:

• "Did you have any children?"
• "Do you support anyone who doesn’t live with you?"
• "Did you pay for more than half of the upkeep for your home in 2023?"

5. You will then proceed to a screen for adding your dependents. Be prepared with their full name, date of birth, Social Security Number, and the number of months they lived with you.
6. Let TurboTax Determine the Best Filing Status. Based on your answers to the marital status, dependent, and household expense questions, TurboTax will automatically figure out the most beneficial filing status for you. If a pop-up appears stating, "Good news! Head of Household is your best filing status," it means your answers align with the IRS rules. You do not need to manually select it from a dropdown list; the software does it for you based on the information you provided. Review the summary to confirm it now says "Head of Household."

If you don't answer the guided questions correctly, TurboTax may not recommend this status. The most common mistake is failing to correctly enter a dependent or not indicating that you paid more than half of the household expenses.

What if You Already Filed with the Wrong Status?

If you have already submitted your return with the wrong filing status (for example, as Single), you cannot simply log in and change it. You must file an amended tax return using IRS Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return.

Filing an amended return through TurboTax is also an interview-based process. You will need to log back into your account for the tax year you need to correct, state that you want to amend the return, and then go back through the 'My Info' section. This time, when you answer the questions correctly and the software selects Head of Household, it will generate the 1040-X for you. The form will show the original figures from your first return, the corrected figures, and the difference—which will almost certainly be an additional refund you are owed.

Generally, you have three years from the date you filed your original return (or two years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later) to file an amended return. And remember to keep all relevant documentation—such as rent receipts, utility bills, and bank statements—to prove you paid for more than half the cost of keeping up your home in case the IRS has any follow-up questions.

Final Thoughts

Updating your status to Head of Household in TurboTax is an automated process guided by how you respond to key questions. Your main responsibility is to make sure you truly meet the three rigorous IRS tests: being unmarried, paying for over half the household costs, and having a qualifying person linked to your home.

Understanding the nuanced rules for who counts as a qualifying child or relative, especially with exceptions for parents, often requires a close reading of tax law. When we help clients in these situations, navigating IRS publications for specific definitions is essential. We use tools like Feather AI to get clear, citation-backed answers on these complex requirements in real time, ensuring our guidance is based on irrefutable, audit-ready information.