Tax File Memorandum

Head Of Household Filing
The narrative this assignment is based on is predicated on the fact that a married couple, consisting of Brett and Kathy, want to file income taxes as having separate households. This situation is unusual for several reasons. Firstly, the pair is legally married—which typically mandates a joint household income tax filed between them. Moreover, they also live in the same residence, which is seemingly another factor for which they would want to file a joint income tax. They also share the fiscal responsibilities for both raising three children and maintaining the home in which all three live. The client wants to file a head of household separate income tax because he makes more money than Kathy does.
The research conducted for this assignment indicates there is little chance for Brett successfully filing as head of household. One can file for head of household if one is considered unmarried at the end of the year (IRS, 2018). Unfortunately, Brett is not unmarried, nor can anyone consider him as unmarried. Specifically, “You're considered unmarried at the end of a tax year only if you're legally separated or your spouse isn't a member of your household for the last 6 months of the tax year” (IRS, 2018). Since Brett is not legally separated from Kathy and she is part of his household because she lives in the same house and contributes to its upkeep and that for their sons, this option likely is not for him.
In conclusion, it appears the best option for Brett is to select the married filed separately status. This option is not as financially advantageous as the head of household option, but it is the only one for which he truly qualifies.
References
Internal Revenue Service. "Filing status." www.irs.gov Retrieved from https://www.irs.gov/faqs/filing-requirements-status-dependents-exemptions/filing-status