Q. I have to file Every bit of work I have done even if I still did not make over $12,200.
A. Yes & no.
If your income consists entirely of wages, shown on a form W-2, and your total income is less than $12,200, you do not need to file.
But if your work income consist of cash shown on a form 1099-Misc or undocumented cash income (no W-2 or 1099-MISC), you have to file with as little as $400 total income (technically $433*, although the rules state $400). This is because you have to pay FICA tax (social security & medicare) , in the form of "Self employment tax" (SET), on that income. No actual income tax will be due, only the SET-FICA .
If you literally only had one job and made $100, and that is your only income, you do not need to file.
*$433 x 0.9235 = $400. Why 0.9235? A "business" gets to deduct the employer share of FICA tax.
