Is a taxpayer required to file as Head of Household if he/she meets the eligibility requirements or can he/she choose to file as Single if they are unmarried and have multiple dependents? (Elderly mother and disabled sister are both living in the taxpayer’s home).
We have a client whose tax is $200 lower as an HOH filer vs. a Single filer, but because he is subject to a partial Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC) repayment, AND because the repayment limitation for the Single filer is $1,275, half that of the HOH filer ($2,550), he will actually save almost $1,100 if he files as Single.
The language on Filing Status in TTB, Pub 17, etc. focuses on eligibility for filing as HOH, but I can’t seem to find any authority indicating whether or not a taxpayer is required to file as HOH if they meet the eligibility requirements. This is such an odd set of circumstances with the APTC repayment limitation and I’ve never run into a situation where it is more beneficial to file as Single over HOH...
Has anyone run into this or something similar?
We have a client whose tax is $200 lower as an HOH filer vs. a Single filer, but because he is subject to a partial Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC) repayment, AND because the repayment limitation for the Single filer is $1,275, half that of the HOH filer ($2,550), he will actually save almost $1,100 if he files as Single.
The language on Filing Status in TTB, Pub 17, etc. focuses on eligibility for filing as HOH, but I can’t seem to find any authority indicating whether or not a taxpayer is required to file as HOH if they meet the eligibility requirements. This is such an odd set of circumstances with the APTC repayment limitation and I’ve never run into a situation where it is more beneficial to file as Single over HOH...
Has anyone run into this or something similar?
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