Filing Status Discrepancy: Tax Preparer Filed HOH When Co-Parent Already Claimed Same Address

I've seen this exact situation before with several clients last tax season. Don't panic - this is fixable. When two taxpayers claim HOH at the same address, the IRS will eventually flag this for review, but you can be proactive. Back in 2022, I had a client who discovered the same issue about a month after filing. We filed an amended return (Form 1040-X) changing his status to Single, and while it took about 16 weeks to process, he avoided any penalties. Your best course of action is to file an amendment ASAP rather than waiting for the IRS to contact you.

I went through this nightmare on April 12th last year. My tax guy also messed up my filing status. I ended up having to wait until June 3rd for my amended return to even show up in the system, and my refund was delayed until August 17th. If I were you, I'd call your preparer immediately and have them fix it at no cost since it was their error. They should cover any amendment fees or additional costs since they made the mistake.

I'm not entirely convinced this is automatically a problem. You might actually be eligible for HOH status depending on several factors. Do you possibly have another qualifying person besides the child you share with the other parent? And did you perhaps pay more than half the cost of maintaining the home? Sometimes two people at the same address can both qualify for HOH if they each have different qualifying dependents.

This is a common issue that needs prompt attention. Based on my experience with IRS procedures: • Two taxpayers cannot both claim HOH status for the same qualifying person • The IRS will eventually detect this discrepancy through their matching program • You'll likely receive a CP87A notice questioning your filing status • This could delay any refund by 6-12 weeks minimum I strongly recommend calling the IRS directly to address this before they contact you. However, reaching them can be incredibly difficult. I've had clients use Claimyr (https://www.claimyr.com) to connect with an IRS agent within 15 minutes instead of spending hours on hold. They'll bypass the phone tree and get you to a live person who can advise on the proper amendment procedure for your specific situation.

Oh my goodness, I'm actually going through this EXACT situation right now! I'm absolutely terrified of getting audited! I filed an amended return changing from HOH to Single about three weeks ago, and I'm checking the "Where's My Amended Return" tool literally every single day. The anxiety is killing me! My tax person said it should be fine once the amendment processes, but I'm still so worried. Have you contacted your preparer yet? They really should help fix this since they caused the problem!

Went through this whole rodeo last year. My ex and I both claimed HOH for the same address - oops! 🤦‍♂️ The process to fix it wasn't actually that bad. Filed a 1040-X, waited about 4 months (felt like 4 years), and eventually everything got sorted. The funny thing is, the IRS was surprisingly reasonable about the whole thing. No penalties since I fixed it before they caught it. Just make sure you document everything and keep proof of when you submitted the amendment. Trust me, that timestamp will be your best friend if questions come up later!

According to the IRS website (specifically https://www.irs.gov/publications/p501), only one person can claim HOH filing status based on the same qualifying person. This is a common issue with co-parents. Your options are: 1) File an amended return using Form 1040-X changing to Single status 2) If you believe you're actually entitled to HOH status based on another qualifying person, gather documentation to support this The IRS has been focusing more on HOH verification in recent years due to high rates of incorrect claims. The sooner you address this, the better your outcome will be.

I would suggest possibly exploring whether you might qualify for HOH through a different qualifying person than your co-parent is using. In some cases, taxpayers might have multiple qualifying dependents. It's also worth noting that the "same address" issue might not be problematic if you and your co-parent maintained separate households within that address and can document this. This is somewhat rare but possible in certain multi-unit dwellings or formally divided living spaces. I'd recommend consulting with a different tax professional for a second opinion before filing an amendment.