QSP filing status

[jainen]

Disclaimer: This is part of a series of posts that forum moderators have identified as containing “bogus information.”

The IRS is seeking public comment on a plan to eliminate the Head of Household filing status and replace it with a Qualified Single Parent filing status. The change is proposed for tax years starting after 12/31/08.

“Head of Household” is a confusing term because it means different things in Food Stamps, energy rebates, and other common programs. The IRS also feels that it does not reflect the way taxpayers are actually living these days.

The new filing status would be similar to Qualifying Widow. It would be available for a maximum of two years following a year in which the taxpayer filed either Married Filing Joint with a dependent child under the age of 14, or Single with a dependent child under the age of 1. Conforming to a recent law that removes the question of support in determining dependent exemptions, QSP status would not require the payment of household costs or other support for children who live with the parent. However, the Qualified Single Parent status would not be available to any taxpayer whose primary residence is also the primary residence of another taxpayer with higher AGI.

[veritas]

You could be

the Stephen King of tax articles.

[DonPriebe]

The first transferable filing status

On a historical note, the QSP name was originally derived from the amateur radio list of "Q Signals". In that context, "QSP?" was the Morse code request to relay a message. One little known feature of the proposed QSP filing status is the ability to transfer (relay) the status to a new person after the initial two year period. This can be commonly done if the single taxpayer establishes a new relationship within the two years. It can also be done when it can be established that the previous companion was not in fact biologically related to the dependent child. The latter case requires the filing of form 3115-OOPS, Change of Accountability Status.