Tax filings may be one of the many considerations that a single parent in Pennsylvania might face. There are several things parents can keep in mind before filing taxes.
Single parents can claim certain deductions and credits, depending on the number of children they have and their income. For example, single parents might be able to take exemptions of $3,950 for each dependent child if their income is less than $279,650 annually. Parents who earn less than $75,000 adjusted gross income might also take tax credits of $1,000 per child and child care credits of $3,000 for one child or $6,000 for two or more children. There are also tax-sheltering benefits offered by some businesses and employers for child care.
Single parents might also consider their filing status. After a divorce, they might file as single, head of household if they earned at least 50 percent of their household income and if their children were supported by them and lived at least six months in their care. The benefit of this filing status is that the parent might claim higher deductions and a lower tax rate.
Finally, single parents might also consider who can be claimed as a dependent. The IRS considers a child a dependent if the child lived with the parent for at least six months and was also financially supported by that parent. However, divorced Pennsylvania parents might agree on a different set up, including each claiming a child or taking turns claiming the child.
Tax filings and deductions are only one of the many things a single parent may have to consider after completing a divorce. In order to better prepare for life after the marriage has ended, a parent might discuss their situation with an attorney.
