Who to report as a “Parent”
Unless otherwise noted, “parent” means your legal (biological and/or adoptive) parent or your stepparent. In addition, the rules below apply to your legal parents regardless of their gender.
· If your parents are living and legally married to each other, answer the questions about both of them.
· If your parents are living together and are not married, answer the questions about both of them.
· If your parent is widowed or was never married, answer the questions about that parent.
· If your parents are divorced or separated and don’t live together, answer the questions about the parent with whom you lived more during the past 12 months. If you lived the same amount of time with each parent, give answers about the parent who provided more financial support during the past 12 months or during the most recent year that you actually received support from a parent.
· If your parents are divorced but live together, you’ll indicate their marital status as “Unmarried and both parents living together,” and you’ll answer the questions about both of them.
· If your parents are separated but live together, you’ll indicate their marital status as “Married or remarried,” and you’ll answer the questions about both of them.
· If you have a stepparent who is married to the legal parent whose information you’re reporting, you must provide information about that stepparent as well.
· The following people are not your parents unless they have adopted you: grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, older brothers or sisters, and uncles or aunts.