how much earnings do people have to file for a return

[atomicdog74]

how much do earnings have to be in order to file a return

[MayaD]

Generally, you need to file if:

• Your income is over the filing requirement
• You have over $400 in net earnings from self employment.

Even if you are not required to file, you might want to file to get money back if you have taxes withheld or you qualify for refundable credit.  

For more information check here. 

[xmasbaby0]

Even if you did not earn more than the filing requirement amount, if you have a W-2 (s) with tax withheld in boxes 2 or 17, you could file to seek a refund of federal and/or state tax that was withheld from your paychecks.

And..if you have even $400 of income from self-employment, you are required to file a tax return.  (there are many kinds of self-employment including rideshare driving, DoorDash or Instacart etc delivery, babysitting, housecleaning, etc etc etc.)