Question To qualify for head of household filing status, do I have to claim my child as a dependent? Answer Generally, to qualify for head of household filing status, you must have a qualifying child or a dependent. However, a custodial parent may be eligible to claim head of household filing status based on a child even if the custodial parent released a claim to exemption for the child. See Noncustodial parent is claiming our child as a dependent; do I still qualify as head of household? Additional Information What Is My Filing Status? Publication 501, Dependents, Standard Deduction and Filing Information Category Filing Requirements, Status, Dependents Sub-Category Filing Status