<p>Hi,
My stepdad had a business years ago and he still have to pay taxes from it(a big amount) and filed Married filing separately. My mom decided 2 years ago that she would file Head of Household because she's paying for the house and also because she doesn't want to absorb my stepdad's standing. </p>
<p>Last year, I went to the FA office and they told me that she has to change her filing status to Married filing separately because I put Married as her Marital Status. She never changed her filing status and it was a tough year financially. They are both dislocated workers. My dad receives a pension and my mother receives her EDD. </p>
<pre><code>I don't know what to put for Marital Status! I can put Separated (informally) but they can probably check my dad's address (they live together, and I with them). Is it better to just take a student loan OR Put Separated OR Married Filing Separately (which my mom strongly doesn't want to do and would take a lot of time)? Please help!
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<p>Your mom cannot legally file head of household, and the financial aid office cannot legally give you financial aid if they are aware of your mom’s incorrect filing status. I won’t comment on what your mother is doing, other than to say that it is wrong.</p>
<p>If you indicate that your parents are separated when they are not, you will be committing fraud. That is wrong. Do not do it.</p>
<p>Try to explain to your mother that her choice is hurting you in terms of being able to receive financial aid. If she does not understand or care, you will need to find another way to finance school.</p>
<p>I’ve been telling my mother for about a year now… and yes, they are legally married. I don’t know the CPAs in my area keep doing this with her and they’re fine with it… Thanks again, I won’t do it, but I’ll probably bug the hell out of her to change it or find a job myself or talk to the financial aid technician at my school. Thank you for your input</p>
<p>You can talk to the financial aid officer until you are blue in the face. BUT if your parents are married, and your mom is filing as head of household, you will NOT be able to receive aid until her tax situation is corrected for the year of your FAFSA at least.</p>
<p>Getting a job won’t make a difference, because you will still be considered a dependent by the state and your college. This means you would still need to provide your parents’ information.</p>
<p>Your mother needs to make an amended tax return, like it or not. You need to talk to HER until you’re blue in the face, unless you guys don’t want financial aid. I’m not sure if you would be able to claim any loans, either, since they need the FAFSA for that, and you would be taking out loans through the state (through the college) and they have the right to deny your loan.</p>
<p>If your mother is still married, she cannot honestly file as head of household. The tax savings may be attractive, but the tax filing would be fraudulent. She should correct this before people start looking into it.</p>
<p>You have been given advice by a financial aid director. Please take heed to the advice. If you need aid, your mom will have to make the necessary corrections. You will not receive a dime with out a tax transcript or the IRS data retrieval tool. </p>
<p>Also remind her that fraudulently filing for financial aid is a federal offense that has ramifications for the both of you;
fines, jail, repayment of all monies you fraudulently received and being in a position to never receive aid in the future, rescinding your admissions or expelling you from college</p>
<p>there are circumstances where a married person can file Head of Household. You must be single or “considered single” which means abandonded. Abandoned for these purposes means that the couple did not live together the last six months of the tax year. That is clearly is not the case here, but I couldn’t resist…</p>