topic What if employer didn't take any federal taxes out of my paycheck, when they were supposed to in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

What if employer didn't take any federal taxes out of my paycheck, when they were supposed to

l-holbert16 — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 09:46:17 GMT

Re: What if employer didn't take any federal taxes out of my paycheck, when they were supposed to

rjs — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 17:03:35 GMT

Are you an employee (you get a W-2) or are you an independent contractor (you get a 1099-NEC)? If you are an independent contractor they are not supposed to take any tax out of your pay.

If you are an employee and no tax was withheld, it's too late to do anything about it now for 2023. You will have to pay the tax that you owe when you file your tax return. But if your income is low, it's possible that you do not have to pay any federal income tax. In that case, the employer was correct to not take any tax out of your pay.

For 2024 you can use the Tax Withholding Estimator on the IRS web site to figure out what to put on the W-4 form that you give to your employer, and give them a new W-4 if necessary.

Re: What if employer didn't take any federal taxes out of my paycheck, when they were supposed to

Mike9241 — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 17:04:55 GMT

are you sure they are treating you as an employee where you'll get or got a W-2? if you get a 1099-NEC they're treating you as an independent contractor making you responsible for paying any federal or state taxes.

If you are concerned that your employer is improperly withholding or failing to withhold federal income and employment taxes you should report your employer by contacting the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. Keep in mind, however, that whenever you start a new job, you're supposed to fill out Form W-4 which is used to figure withholding.

Re: What if employer didn't take any federal taxes out of my paycheck, when they were supposed to

Missginia — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:49:28 GMT

Good morning, what is the least annual amount you can make so you don't have to file Federal and State taxes?

Re: What if employer didn't take any federal taxes out of my paycheck, when they were supposed to

xmasbaby0 — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 15:59:59 GMT

If you had even $400 of self-employment income you are required to file a tax return and pay self-employment tax for Social Security and Medicare.

If you have a 1095A for marketplace health insurance you are required to file.

If your ONLY income is Social Security you are not required to file unless you have a 1095A.

If you had a W-2 job, you are required to file a tax return if you made as much as the standard deduction amount for your filing status.

And..of course, if you had federal or state tax withheld from your paychecks, you can file a tax return to seek a refund even if you made less than your standard deduction amount.

2025 STANDARD DEDUCTION AMOUNTS

SINGLE $15,750 (65 or older/legally blind + $2000)

MARRIED FILING SEPARATELY $15,750 (65 or older/legally blind +1600)

MARRIED FILING JOINTLY $31,500 (65 or older/legally blind + $1600)

HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD $23,625 (65 or older/legally blind + $2000)

Who has to file?

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

@Missginia

Re: What if employer didn't take any federal taxes out of my paycheck, when they were supposed to

rjs — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 21:29:02 GMT

@Missginia wrote:

Good morning, what is the least annual amount you can make so you don't have to file Federal and State taxes?

@Missginia

There is no simple answer. The amount that you can make without having to file a federal tax return depends on your filing status, age, the type of income, and whether you can be claimed as a dependent.

Each state has its own rules, so whether you have to file a state tax return depends on what state you live in, what state you work in, and other considerations, depending on the state.