Tax filing status: Single filers

Mark Steber

Chief Tax Information Officer

Published on: November 15, 2023

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As tax time nears, you may be wondering what your filing status may be. We’ll explore the Single filing status in this article, focusing on how to choose your correct filing status, the advantages and disadvantages of filing Single, the tax brackets and standard deduction rates for Single and the other filing status, plus other facets of this tax topic.

Filing taxes as Single in 2024

Put simply, Single filing status is for unmarried people who do not qualify for any of the other 4 statuses. Fun fact: if you’re legally divorced on the last day of the year, the IRS sees you as unmarried for the whole year. Your Tax Pro can work with you on the specific details of your situation, but we’ll give an overview of filing statuses below.

What are the 5 tax filing statues?

There are 5 tax filing statuses the IRS recognizes.

You can fall into more than one filing status (for example, married taxpayers can file jointly or separately), so it’s best to go with the status that could offer the maximum deductions and credits you’d qualify for.

How do I choose my filing status?

Your filing status is a direct result of your current marital status. Meaning, you’re either married and can file jointly or separately, or you are unmarried and able to file as Single, Qualifying Surviving Spouse, or Head of Household. We break down the qualifications of the 5 statuses in the section above.

If you do have a choice, check with your Jackson Hewitt Tax Pro to figure out what’s the best option for saving you on taxes, and potentially getting you a bigger refund. This is important, as your situation in life (married, divorced, young child, widowed, etc.) can change as often as the IRS tax laws.

What’s the difference between Head of Household and Single?

Head of Household is the most misunderstood status, so be careful. It’s for unmarried people who provided at least half of the cost to maintain a home for the year (mortgage or lease, property taxes, repairs, food, and household expenses), while also providing more than half the support to at least one other qualifying individual for more than six months of the year. No, you cannot claim a Head of Household status for being the one who makes the most money in your family. To the IRS, you must be unmarried and have a dependent to qualify. A single parent with a 16-year-old dependent child living at home is a good example of a Head of Household status.

Certain married individuals may also qualify as Head of Household. These individuals are “considered unmarried” for tax purposes. They must meet these three criteria:

A dependent child must live with the filer for more than half the year,
The filer did not live with their spouse at all during the last six months of the year, and
The filer provided more than half the support of the household for them and their child.

What are tax brackets?

The tax bracket you fall into determines the percentage of your income you pay to the IRS. The current federal income tax brackets are 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37%. Your filing status and taxable income for the year determine your tax bracket.

Are 2023 tax brackets different than 2022?

The 7 federal income tax brackets for 2023 are the same as 2022. However, there’s good news. Due to 2022 and 2023 inflation, the IRS significantly updated the income thresholds for each of the 7 tax brackets to help prevent you from paying higher taxes because your cost of living has also increased. This adjustment could mean you’ll pay less tax because you could be in a lower tax bracket than you were last year.

2023 tax brackets for Single filers

The tax brackets for single filers are in a helpful chart below.

2023 Single Filer Tax Brackets

Tax rate	Taxable income bracket	Tax owed
10%	$0 to $11,000	10% of taxable income
12%	$11,001 to $44,725	$1,100 plus 12% of the amount over $11,000
22%	$44,726 to $95,375	$5,147 plus 22% of the amount over $44,725
24%	$95,376 to $182,100	$16,290 plus 24% of the amount over $95,375
32%	$182,101 to $231,250	$37,104 plus 32% of the amount over $182,100
35%	$231,251 to $578,125	$52,832 plus 35% of the amount over $231,250
37%	$578,126 or more	$174,238.25 plus 37% of the amount over $578,125

Standard deduction for Single filers

As mentioned above, the IRS has five filing status options for taxpayers required to file income taxes. You can file as Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, Head of Household, or Qualifying Surviving Spouse. The standard deduction depends on your filing status.

A Tax Pro can help you with choosing the right filing status. Choosing the correct status can save you big dollars at tax time but choosing the wrong one can cost you.

Below are the standard deductions for 2023:

Filing status	2023 standard deduction
Single	$13,850
Married Filing Jointly/Qualified Surviving Spouse	$27,700
Married Filing Separately	$13,850
Head of Household	$20,800

What are the advantages and disadvantages of filing Single?

As always, work with your Jackson Hewitt tax professional about what filing status is right for you. Many people wonder about the disadvantages or advantages of certain filing statuses, but what’s most important is that you file with the most accurate filing status for your specific situation. Remember, you never have to tax alone. Find a local Tax Pro today.

About the Author

Mark Steber is Senior Vice President and Chief Tax Information Officer for Jackson Hewitt. With over 30 years of experience, he oversees tax service delivery, quality assurance and tax law adherence. Mark is Jackson Hewitt’s national spokesperson and liaison to the Internal Revenue Service and other government authorities. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), holds registrations in Alabama and Georgia, and is an expert on consumer income taxes including electronic tax and tax data protection.

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