In October 2016,Joy and Paul separated and have not lived with each other since,but they are still legally married.They do not file a joint return.Joy supports their children after the separation and pays the cost of maintaining their home.Joy's filing status in 2016 and 2017 is,respectively,
A)single for both years.
B)head of household and single.
C)married filing separately for both years.
D)married filing separately and head of household.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since Joy and Paul are still legally married but not living with each other, they cannot file as single or head of household. They also cannot file a joint return as they are separated. Therefore, the best option for Joy is to file as "married filing separately" in both years and also qualify as "head of household" if she meets the necessary requirements for claiming the children as dependents and paying the cost of maintaining the home.

In October 2016,Joy and Paul Separated and Have Not Lived