Definition
The category you file your tax return under, such as single or married filing jointly, which sets your brackets and standard deduction.
What it means
There are five federal filing statuses: single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household and qualifying surviving spouse. Your status depends mainly on whether you were married on the last day of the year and who lives with you. Head of household is for unmarried people who paid more than half the cost of keeping up a home for a qualifying person, and it has a larger standard deduction and wider brackets than single. Married filing separately usually costs more and blocks some credits, though it can make sense in certain situations. A qualifying surviving spouse with a dependent child can use joint rates for two years after the spouse's death. If more than one status fits, you can generally choose the one with the lowest tax.
Example
An unmarried parent who pays most household costs and lives with a child may qualify as head of household, with a 2026 standard deduction of $24,150 instead of $16,100 as single, which is $8,050 more.
Illustrative numbers only. Your situation will differ.