topic Should I have to pay taxes if I’m 16 and cannot vote? I’m also a dependent on my moms tax return in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Should I have to pay taxes if I’m 16 and cannot vote? I’m also a dependent on my moms tax return

d8cb56ad7625 — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 12:07:18 GMT

Re: Should I have to pay taxes if I’m 16 and cannot vote? I’m also a dependent on my moms tax return

Bsch4477 — Sun, 19 Feb 2023 20:28:25 GMT

You only pay taxes if you make enough money to have a filing requirement.

Re: Should I have to pay taxes if I’m 16 and cannot vote? I’m also a dependent on my moms tax return

DMarkM1 — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 14:39:52 GMT

As Bsch4477 states it depends on your income levels. Compare your income to Publication 501, Table 2. Generally, if your gross income (job) is below $12,950 and unearned (interest/dividends) is below 1,150 you do not have a filing requirement.

However, check box 2 on your forms W2 for any income taxes withheld. You may also want to file a return to get those taxes refunded.

Re: Should I have to pay taxes if I’m 16 and cannot vote? I’m also a dependent on my moms tax return

xmasbaby0 — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 14:45:23 GMT

Your voting rights are irrelevant to whether you might need to pay tax. If you had income reported on a W-2 and tax was withheld---shown in boxes 2 or 17, you can file a tax return to seek a refund. Or...if you had income over $400 that was reported on a 1099NEC, you are supposed to file a tax return and pay self-employment tax for Social Security and Medicare.

Who has to file?

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Do-I-Need-to-File-a-Tax-Return%3F

CAN I FILE A RETURN IF I AM A DEPENDENT?

If you can be claimed as a dependent on your parents’ return, you can still file your own return so that you can receive a refund of taxes withheld. (You will not get back anything for Social Security or Medicare withheld.) Be sure that on your own return you say that you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/children-dependents/help/do-i-need-to-file-my-own-taxes-if-i-m-a-dependent/00/26111

Re: Should I have to pay taxes if I’m 16 and cannot vote? I’m also a dependent on my moms tax return

Hal_Al — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 14:54:29 GMT

Q. Should I have to pay taxes if I’m 16 and cannot vote? I’m also a dependent on my moms tax return.

A. Maybe. None of those things (age, voting status, being a dependent) gets you out of paying taxes or filing a return. It's the amount and the source of your income that counts.

A dependent child must file a tax return for 2022 if he had any of the following:

Total income (wages, salaries, taxable scholarship etc.) of more than $12,950 (2022).
Unearned income (interest, dividends, capital gains, unemployment, taxable portion of 529 distribution) of more than $1150 (2022)
Unearned income over $400 (2022) and gross income of more than $1150 (2022)
Household employee income (e.g. baby sitting, lawn mowing) over $2300 ($12,950 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.

*If you had self employment of less than $12,950, you will owe no income tax, but you will pay social security and medicare tax in the form of "Self employment tax".

Your parent does not file your income on her return. You must file you own return. There's one exception. If your only income is from interest and dividends, Alaska PFD or capital gains distributions shown on a 1099-DIV, there is a provision for entering it on the parent's return, using form 8814.
But, it is usually best for you to file a separate return, as qualified dividends and capital gain distributions could be taxed at a higher rate on the parent's return.