If I don’t work but I’m a full time student am I able to still file a tax return, since I’m considered a independent student and have two dependents?

[DoninGA]

If you do not have any type of income then you will not need to file a tax return, with or without dependents.

You must have earned income from work to be eligible for any type of tax credit based on earned income, such as the Child Tax Credit or the Earned Income Tax Credit.

You cannot receive a tax refund for taxes never withheld from earned income never received.

[KittyM2]

You can file a return, but if you have no wages or other income to report, there is really no reason to do so. You would not qualify for most credits. For example, the Earned Income Credit requires you to have wages or other "earned" income in order to claim it. 

[Carl]

since I’m considered a independent student

How is it you're considered independent? I just don't see it, and I particularly don't see how you're able to support any dependents if you don't have any earned income. More than likely, you qualify to be claimed as a dependent on someone else's return. Unless you're living off some pretty massive student loans, I can't see how you can survive otherwise.

I point this out because for students, when it comes to the support question, they seem to always read it wrong. Generally, a student qualifies to be claimed as a dependent on their parents tax return if the following conditions are met.

 - The student did not provide more than half of the own support for the entire tax year.

 - The student was enrolled as a full time student for any one semester that started in the tax year.

 - The student was enrolled in a course of study that will lead to a degree or credentialed certification.

 - The student was enrolled in a qualified institution of higher learning or qualified vocational school.

Note the support requirement. THere is absolutely no requirement for the parents to provide the student any support. Not one penny. THe support requirement is on the student, and only the student. There are only two possible ways the student can provide more than 50% of their own support.

 1) The student has a W-2 job or is self-employed and earned enough taxable income during the tax year to have paid more than half of their own support.

 2) The student is the *primary* borrower on a qualified student loan and sufficient funds were distributed to the student during the tax year, to justify a claim to having provided more than half of their own support.

Now scholarships, grants, 529 distributions, gifts from Aunt Mary, money from mom & dad just flat out *do* *not* *count* for the student having provided their own support. So it is perfectly possible for a student to earn a million dollars during the tax year, yet still not have provided more than half of the own support.

For example, if scholarships, grants, 529 distrubutions, etc exceed more than half of a student's "reasonable" expenses, then it doesn't matter what the student may have earned. They could not possibly provide more than half of their support, based on "reasonable" support expenses.

[Hal_Al]

There's a new urban myth among college students that says they can get a $1000 from the government just for filing a tax form. For most of them, they simply aren't eligible. A student, under age 24, is only eligible for the refundable portion of the American Opportunity Credit if he supports himself by working (or files as Married Filing jointly). You cannot be supporting yourself on parental support, 529 plans or student loans & grants. You must have actually paid tuition, not had it paid by scholarships & grants.  It is usually best if the parent claims that credit. 

You cannot claim a credit if you are, or can be, claimed as a dependent by someone else.