Does married wife qualify for Head of Household?

Considered unmarried requirement that T/P paid more than half the cost of keeping up the home in the tax yr. Spouse plus her child lived with her parents for 1st 6 months of year contributing only some groceries then moved out 7/1 to her own apartment the rest of the year paying 100% of household expenses. Does she qualify for H of H which then gets her the EIC? In other words, must we look at the entire year to determine if she paid over 1/2 of household expenses?

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Amy-in-PA

Allstar, Accountant Community AllStar

02/02/12 8:47pm PST

Your titled includes the phrase "married wife." What's an "unmarried wife," I wonder? I'm not sure about the answer to your question, Running26, but I found the phrase baffling.

Back up before it's too late. For a professional answer, call Tech Support at 1-800-933-9999 (Lacerte)(other numbers ProSeries, QB, or TurboTax). I am a volunteer, not compensated or supported by Intuit.

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Running26

Contributor

02/02/12 10:45pm PST

ok............wife as they are still married. Would you claim head of household instead of MFS in this situation? The answer would be yes if she and her child moved out of the couple's home into her own place the last 6 months of the year.

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10krunner

Contributor

02/02/12 11:29pm PST

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You'll find your answers at Publication 501 and 504, but she'll have to have lived apart from her spouse the last 6 months of year (true); been custodial parent living with child Greater than 6 months of year (sound like all year); but has to provide for Greater than 6 months support for the child, so you'll have to look at the support for the entire year to see if she qualifies for HOH. You also were asking about EIC. See Publication 596 for complex rules too long for this forum. Be sure to complete and attach Form 8867 as paid preparer!

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