CSS Profile

[ShiningO]

<p>I need help. When filing for the CSS profile, would I put down that my parents are separated, though they are legally married, if they file as Heads of Household? Is that considered separated or married on the CSS profile?</p>

[Erin_s_Dad]

<p>Head of household is a way to file taxes. It does not mean separated. Do they live together?</p>

[sybbie719]

<p>The ORS considers Head of Houselhold as the following:

</p>

<p>You may be able to file as head of household if you meet all the following requirements.</p>

<p>You are unmarried or “considered unmarried” on the last day of the year. </p>

<p>You paid more than half the cost of keeping up a home for the year.</p>

<p>A “qualifying person” lived with you in the home for more than half the year (except for temporary absences, such as school). However, if the “qualifying person” is your dependent parent, he or she does not have to live with you. See Special rule for parent , later, under Qualifying Person. </p>

<p>Considered Unmarried
To qualify for head of household status, you must be either unmarried or considered unmarried on the last day of the year. You are considered unmarried on the last day of the tax year if you meet all the following tests. </p>

<p>You file a separate return (defined earlier under Joint Return After Separate Returns ). </p>

<p>You paid more than half the cost of keeping up your home for the tax year.</p>

<p>Your spouse did not live in your home during the last 6 months of the tax year. Your spouse is considered to live in your home even if he or she is temporarily absent due to special circumstances. See Temporary absences , later. </p>

<p>Your home was the main home of your child, stepchild, or foster child for more than half the year. (See Home of qualifying person , later, for rules applying to a child’s birth, death, or temporary absence during the year.) </p>

<p>You must be able to claim an exemption for the child. However, you meet this test if you cannot claim the exemption only because the noncustodial parent can claim the child using the rules described later in Children of divorced or separated parents or parents who live apart under Qualifying Child or in Support Test for Children of Divorced or Separated Parents or Parents Who Live Apart under Qualifying Relative. The general rules for claiming an exemption for a dependent are explained later under Exemptions for Dependents . </p>

<p>[Publication</a> 501 (2011), Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information](<a href=“http://www.irs.gov/publications/p501/ar02.html#en_US_2011_publink1000220775]Publication”>http://www.irs.gov/publications/p501/ar02.html#en_US_2011_publink1000220775)

</p>

<p>If your school requires the non-custodial profile, then the parent who does not reside in your house must fill it out and include his/her income and assets</p>

[thumper1]

<p>

When filing for the CSS profile, would I put down that my parents are separated, though they are legally married, if they file as Heads of Household?

</p>

<p>I’m confused. Do your parents live in the same household as a married couple? If so, I’m not sure how they would both file as “head of household”.</p>

<p>If your parents are married and are not separated…you list them as MARRIED on the Profile (and FAFSA). If they married and are filing as Head of Household, I believe they have an IRS issue on their hands but I’m not a tax expert at all.</p>

[ShiningO]

<p>They file their taxes as HOH but they do not live together. I don’t think they are legally separated but they file their taxes in such a way, because they have not lived together for years.</p>

[ShiningO]

<p>What I wanted to know was if filing as HOH is considered separated if my parents have been living separately for years. Should I still write married on the CSS profile?</p>

[momofthreeboys]

<p>Follow the directions for separated parents. The parent you lived with most is most likely going to be the “custodial” parent and the other parent’s information would be gathered under the noncustodial parent form is, in my opinion, how you would handle the Profile. For FAFSA you would use only the custodial parent (the one you lived with most during the year).</p>

[ShiningO]

<p>Also, my parent filed for their taxes already. However, they have not received the taxes. Should I just estimate and choose “Completed an income tax return” or “Will file, but have not completed an income tax return”?</p>

[momofthreeboys]

<p>

Also, my parent filed for their taxes already. However, they have not received the taxes.

I don’t know quite what you are asking…if they have sent the tax forms to the IRS you’re probably good to go using the numbers from those tax forms to complete your financial aid. I’m not sure what you mean about “receiving the taxes”. For FAFSA you need to wait a week or two to use the IRS data retrieval tool.</p>

[ShiningO]

<p>Sorry, I wasn’t clear. But I was talking about the CSS profile.</p>

[momofthreeboys]

<p>Yes, if they have SENT their taxes into the IRS either by mail or electronically you are probably good to use those numbers in filling out the Profile. You will need your parents help anyway, because you will need information about assets and things that are not on the tax forms. Depending on which college you may have to send copies of those tax forms in to the college…so the number should match. If you have not filled out FAFSA you will also have to fill that in but some of the information will auto-fill from the submitted tax forms if you wait a week or so after the taxes are submitted.</p>