My question is , would I be better off filing as Head of Household or Single with a dependent?My son is 48 years old and is attending a local community college. His income over the last year is $1800.00. I have been providing all of his additional support over the past year.If I can claim him as a dependent, and file as a single person, can I also deduct his educational expense?
Hello,Based on the information you've provided, your son does qualify to be claimed as your dependent because you provided more than half of his support and his gross income was less than $3,700.To determine your filing status you just need to answer whether or not he lived with you for more than 6 months. If he did, then you would file as Head of Household with him listed as your dependent. If he did not live with you for more than 6 months, then you would file as Single with him listed as your dependent.Since you can claim him as your dependent you may also be able to deduct his educational expenses. There are some additional requirements to qualify for some of the educational credits/deductions, such as being below certain income thresholds, being enrolled at least half-time, etc. For more details on the education tax incentives available to you, take a look at IRS Publication 970. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p970.pdfI usually start with the American Opportunity Credit, as it typically yields the best incentives if you qualify. If you're using a tax software to prepare your return, it should run a comparison of all of the credits you qualify for and steer you toward the one that provides the best return.Let me know if you need any additional information.