Do I have to file?

[Gotalife]

What is the name of your state? TN

I am an adult University student with four kids. Single, head of household. My only income aside from $2000 in child support and several thousand in student loans ( which I know aren't actually income) is about $1500 in govt. grant money ( the amount left over after tuition). Do I even have to file this year?

 

[Snipes5]

Scholarships are taxable if the scholarship/grant amount exceeds the tuition, fees and books.

The taxable amount would be the amount in excess of those expenses.

Still, if your income is below $10,050 you don't have to file.

You may want to file for EIC though if your income from scholarships is more than $1000. You won't pay any tax but you'll get back EIC.

You can also treat the entire scholarship/grant amounts as taxable, use one of the education credits to offset any tax, and therefore claim a higher EIC.

Having this worked out by a pro might not be a bad idea.

Snipes