Q. Do you need to file taxes if you make less than $1000 for the year?
A. No, unless it's from self employment. The self employed must pay their social security and medicare (FICA) tax even though they may owe no income tax or you are a dependent.
A dependent (or someone who can be a dependent) must file a tax return for 2023 if he had any of the following:
- Total income (wages, salaries, taxable scholarship etc.) of more than $13,850 (2023).
- Unearned income (interest, dividends, capital gains, unemployment, taxable portion of 529 distribution) of more than $1250 (2023)
- Unearned income over $400 and gross income of more than $1250 (2023)
- Household employee income (e.g. baby sitting, lawn mowing) over $2600 ($13,850 if under age 18)
- Other self employment income over $432, including money on a form 1099-NEC
Even if he had less, he is allowed to file if he needs to get back income tax withholding. He cannot get back social security or Medicare tax withholding.
In TurboTax, he indicates that somebody else can claim him as a dependent, at the personal information section.
