This question comes up a lot! I recommend using the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant tool. Just google "IRS filing status tool" and it walks you through a series of questions to determine if you qualify for HOH. Much better than guessing or getting random advice online.

I work as a tax preparer and see this situation frequently. Yes, multiple people in the same physical address can absolutely claim Head of Household status as long as they each meet the requirements independently. The key is understanding that "household" for tax purposes doesn't mean the physical building - it refers to your financial responsibility for maintaining a home where you and your qualifying person live. Each parent supporting their own children can constitute a separate "household" even under one roof. For your cousin's situation, they should both be able to claim HOH if they each: - Are unmarried at year-end - Have qualifying children living with them more than half the year - Pay more than half the cost of keeping up their respective households The 50/50 split of shared expenses (utilities, rent/mortgage) is fine. They just need to track that each person's total contribution (their share of common expenses PLUS their children's individual expenses) exceeds half of what it costs to maintain their living situation. Keep good records and consider consulting a tax professional if the numbers are close, but this is definitely allowed by the IRS.

I went through this exact situation last year and here's what worked for me: First, document everything - save all your emails to the advocate with timestamps. Then call the TAS national line at 877-777-4778 and specifically ask to speak with your advocate's supervisor or the local TAS office manager. When I did this, I explained that I had a financial hardship deadline (similar to your tuition payment) and hadn't heard from my advocate in weeks. They immediately escalated my case and assigned a new advocate who called me within 2 business days. Don't try to go around the system by calling the IRS directly - it can actually hurt your case as others mentioned. The key is being persistent with TAS management and emphasizing your May 1st deadline. They take hardship cases seriously when you escalate properly through their chain of command.

I experienced a similar situation where my advocate went silent for over a month. Here's what I learned from my ordeal: The TAS system has built-in safeguards that many people don't know about. When you call 877-777-4778, ask specifically for a "case status review due to advocate non-responsiveness." This triggers a formal review process that typically results in either immediate advocate contact or case reassignment within 3-5 business days. For your May 1st deadline, emphasize this as an "economic hardship" when you call - the IRS has specific protocols for cases with approaching financial deadlines. Make sure to mention: - Your refund acceptance date (January 29th) - The advocate assignment date (March 15th) - Last contact date (March 18th) - Your documented attempts to reach the advocate (April 1st and 8th emails) - The specific hardship (tuition deadline) I also recommend checking your tax transcript before calling so you can reference any processing codes if asked. This shows you're informed about your case status and aren't just calling blindly. The key is being persistent but professional - frame it as needing help navigating the system rather than complaining about poor service. In my experience, TAS management takes these escalations seriously when presented properly.

Quick tip from someone who handles HSA compliance professionally - the "reasonableness" standard for excess contribution calculations means you won't get in trouble for small discrepancies. The IRS cares much more that you: 1) Remove the excess contribution before the deadline 2) Make a good faith effort to calculate earnings 3) Report the distribution correctly on your taxes Your method is certainly reasonable. I typically recommend simply using the overall account rate of return (total gains/losses divided by average balance) applied to the excess contribution amount.

Don't forget that when you withdraw excess HSA contributions, the earnings portion is taxable as "other income" in the year you make the withdrawal! I learned this the hard way. The excess contribution itself isn't taxed again if you already included it in income (which you would have if it was through your employer's payroll), but the earnings definitely are taxable.

Your employer is probably using the "aggregate method" for supplemental wages. There are two ways employers can calculate withholding on overtime/bonuses: 1. Flat rate method: A simple 22% flat withholding on supplemental wages 2. Aggregate method: They add the supplemental wages to your regular wages and calculate withholding as if the total was your regular paycheck, then subtract what was already withheld from your regular check The aggregate method almost always results in higher withholding because it makes the system think you're in a higher tax bracket. It's perfectly legal but super annoying. You'll get the extra money back when you file your taxes, but in the meantime, your employer is basically giving the government an interest-free loan with YOUR money. I'd talk to your payroll department and ask if they can use the flat rate method instead!

Isnt this a tax bracket thing? When u earn more in a pay period it gets taxed higher? My boss always said "don't work overtime cuz they take it all in taxes anyway" lol

Just wanted to point out - technically you can file your taxes without a corrected W-2. Use Form 8889 for your HSA and report the correct contribution amounts there. When e-filing, enter the W-2 exactly as received, then make the adjustments on Form 8889. Include an explanation statement explaining the discrepancy.

I'm dealing with a very similar HSA mess right now! My former employer is also dragging their feet on issuing a corrected W-2 after I had to remove excess contributions. One thing that helped me was getting everything in writing. When you call CompanyFirst, ask them to email you their response about why they won't issue a W-2c. Often when companies have to put their reasoning in writing, they realize they don't actually have a good reason to refuse. Also, make sure you have the distribution statement from HealthSavings that shows the excess contribution removal - this document should clearly state that it's for tax year 2025 contributions, not 2026. If HealthSavings is saying they sent CompanyFirst notification about the removal, ask them to provide you with a copy of that communication. If all else fails, you can absolutely file using Form 8889 with the correct amounts and attach an explanation. The IRS deals with W-2/HSA discrepancies all the time. Just keep detailed records of all your attempts to get the W-2 corrected in case you need them later.