Choosing the correct filing status is very important, and is really the first step that you take in ensuring that you will end up with an accurately prepared tax return. You are required to file Single if any of the following conditions apply to you:
• You are unmarried on the last day of the tax year.
• You are divorced or legally separated under a separate maintenance decree on the last day of the tax year.
• You are widowed before the first day of the tax year and have not remarried during the tax year.
You normally file Single if you do not qualify for any other filing status, but there are some exceptions to the above if you provide for a child living with you, or if you are a surviving spouse (see previous post “Choosing The Correct Filing Status“). In these cases you will not be required to file Single, as long as certain other conditions are met.
Filing Single generally attracts a higher tax rate and has a lower standard deduction than some of the other filing statuses.
The primary objective of this article is to empower taxpayers to learn to do their own taxes. For information on how to choose the correct filing status, grab yourself a copy of “Doing Your Own Taxes is as Easy as 1, 2, 3,” ($6.98) on TaxConnections.com. See more of Milton Boothe’s eBooks in TaxConnections Tax Store.
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