If you raise the baby on your own as a single parent, then head of household is the perfect filing status for you!
The child tax credit is a tax benefit for people with dependent children under 17. Eligibility depends on filing status, income and the child's relationship to the caregiver. The maximum credit amount is $2,000, but it phases out based on modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) levels.
If you file as Single or Head of Household and make less than $200,000, you can claim a $2,000 Child Tax Credit (CTC) (tax year 2024) for each qualifying child. Up to $1,700 of the CTC is refundable for 2024 through the Additional Child Tax Credit for qualifying families.
Easy. Send every dollar you can to the IRS during the year and let them hold it for you until you file your tax return. Every dollar you send the IRS over your actual tax amount shown on your tax return will be an additional dollar of refund you'll get back.
Numbers on tax refunds by income, age, and filing status are available only through tax year 2021 (2022 filing year). Tax refunds by income: Average tax returns tend to rise with income. The average tax refund in 2022 for someone making between $50,000 and $75,000 was $2,712.
Filing as Head of Household
This status provides two significant benefits for single parents. First, it allows for a larger deduction, and second, it offers more favorable tax brackets compared to single filers.
State social services funnel money from federal programs to help single parents care for their children. A good place to become familiar with available grants and other aid for single parents is at Benefits.gov, a comprehensive website that also has information on how to apply to specific programs.
Your significant other earned less than $5,050 for 2024.
According to the IRS dependent rules, your boyfriend or girlfriend must have earned less than $5,050 for the 2024 tax year if you want to claim them as a dependent.
Specifically, the Child Tax Credit was revised in the following ways for 2021: The credit amount was increased for 2021. The American Rescue Plan increased the amount of the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to $3,600 for qualifying children under age 6, and $3,000 for other qualifying children under age 18.
How to get the rest of the credit. The only way to get the full amount of any remaining Child Tax Credit for which you are eligible is to file a tax return for 2021. When you are ready to file, you can use childtaxcredit.gov to find free assistance for filing to receive your Child Tax Credit.
Child Tax Credit:
The Child Tax Credit is a valuable tax benefit for single parents. For the tax year 2024, this credit is up to $3,000 per qualifying child between the ages of 6 and 17, and up to $3,600 for children under 6.
Generally, to qualify for head of household filing status, you must be able to claim a qualifying child or qualifying relative as a dependent. However, a custodial parent may be eligible to claim head of household filing status based on a child even if the custodial parent released a claim to exemption for the child.
Single mothers working full time in 2022 had a median annual income of $40,000. (see Figure 5) This is lower than single fathers' income ($57,000), married mothers' income ($60,000), and married fathers' income ($76,000).
While a single parent with one child can manage on just over $45,000 a year in Alabama, for example, it takes at least $62,000 a year to make ends meet in California. If the family has two children, those numbers rise to $56,000 and $74,922, respectively.
Federal Pell Grants, a need-based grant provided by the federal government, is a type of aid that undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need may be awarded, including single parents. The maximum award for the 2024-25 academic year (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025) is $7,395.
Setting a budget that keeps expenses lower than your income—and sticking to it—is a key step to financial security. Dedicate a part of your budget to debt payment, and pay whatever you can afford each month to bring down your balances. Prioritize high-interest debt.
Does a stay-at-home parent file taxes? As a stay-at-home parent, you can absolutely file taxes. Whether you are required to file a tax return depends on your income level. If you earn any income from freelance work, investment income, or a side business, you may need to report it, depending on how much you make.
The Child Tax Credit is worth a maximum of $2,000 per qualifying child. Up to $1,700 is refundable.
Tax year 2025
No qualifying children: $649. 1 qualifying child: $4,328. 2 qualifying children: $7,152. 3 or more qualifying children: $8,046.
Who are dependents? Dependents are either a qualifying child or a qualifying relative of the taxpayer. The taxpayer's spouse cannot be claimed as a dependent. Some examples of dependents include a child, stepchild, brother, sister, or parent.