Tax Breaks for Single Filers, Car Talk, Antique Sales (Ask SmartMoney)

Tax Breaks for Single Filers, Car Talk, Antique Sales By Stephanie AuWerter |Stephanie AuWerter Archive |Published: March 14, 2007 Active Discussions on SmartMoney QUESTION: My sister and I are both divorced. We each support and maintain our own households. She files as a head of household, while I file single. Which is better? — Gail McDonald, Bonita, Calif. ANSWER: Your sister wins — assuming she qualifies, that is. Head-of-household status requires that the taxpayer have a household of more than one; you generally must be unmarried, have paid more than half the cost of maintaining a household for the past year and have at least one dependent. For most, that means a child living at home, but under the right circumstances, siblings, grandchildren and other relatives may fit the bill. You may even be able to use this filing... [read full story]