You do not enter your
child's earned income from wages reported on a W-2 on your tax return.
A dependent child
must file his/her own tax return if:
- Their earned income (from a
job) is $6,300 or more (W-2);
- Their unearned income (from
interest, etc.) is $1,050 or more; or
- They had net earnings from
self-employment of at least $400.
Your child is not required to file a tax return if their earned
income reported on a W-2 was less than $6,300. If your child's W-2, for 2017 had federal income tax withheld, they may want to
file a federal income tax return to get money back (refund). TurboTax Online has a Free
version they may be able to use.
If your child chooses to complete a tax return, it is important
that they choose the following
option on their tax return:
- Someone else can claim me as a dependent on their tax return
