So my parents file as separated on tax returns but on the common app, I unknowingly said they were married and that I am living with both parents. What should I do?
Please clarify. Are your parents married and living together, with you, and filing tax returns under the status “married filing separately” (this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are separated)? Or are they legally married but maintaining separate living arrangements, which often times is a precursor to ending a marriage?
My parents are married and living together (which is what I put on the common app), but on their tax returns, they file a separated with my mother being head of household.
If your parents are married and living together, it sounds like you reported correctly on FAFSA, Profile and the Common App.
“Married filing separately” and “head of household” are two different and distinct tax filing statuses. Your mother did not file both ways for the same tax year (because she can’t). Again, filing a tax return as “married filing separately” does not necessarily mean that a married couple is separated as that term is commonly used to describe a marital situation. It means that for whatever reason, the married spouses want to each file their own tax return, instead of filing one tax return for both using the filing status “married filing jointly.”
Sorry, but I mean that on the tax returns, she files with marital status as separated so she can be head of household even though they a married and living together
There is no tax return filing status of “separated.” Maybe this is causing some of your confusion. The tax filing status is “married filing separately,” indicating that the married couple is filing separate tax returns, not that they are separated as a married couple. The difference in the two words may be small, but in this particular case the distinction is very important.
If your mother files a tax return as “married filing separately,” she may be head of your family household for all practical purposes, but she cannot be considered a “head of household” for tax purposes.