Do we need to file if below minimum, but taxes were deducted?

[Emilie31]

Does our college age dependent daughter, who made less than the minimum to file amount need to file a federal tax return if federal taxes were deducted from her one employer?  My thought is that if she doesn't file, she just wouldn't get the taxes she paid back.  Since she has 3 W2's and one 1099 NEC form it doesn't seem like she can file for free, so we'd probably have to buy the tax software.  Not sure it would be worth filing, then.  Thanks for your help!

[DoninGA]

If she received a Form 1099-NEC for non-employee compensation of $400 or more then she required to file a tax return to report the self-employment income on Schedule C.

[PattiF]

Your daughter received a 1099-NEC form which usually indicates that she had self-employment income. If she was self-employed she is required to file a tax return to report the 1099-NEC. You are correct that she is not able to file for free with the 1099-NEC form. 

Please see this TurboTax tip about Form 1099-NEC

[Emilie31]

Thank you! 

She doesn't have her own business or anything - she worked for a company a few times that issued a 1099NEC to report her income.  It seems like even though the W2's and the 1099 added together only total $5,920 she is responsible for taxes on the 1099 NEC.  Is that correct?  I'm a little confused on the 1099NEC item and am not sure how to report it.  Thank you for your help.

[fanfare]

A student should visit the IRS at https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free

to find truly free filing. Note that some include free state as well; that's important.

No need for TurboTax.

make sure she understands the "claim me" check box.

[fanfare]

see also

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/05/style/emily-name-popularity.html

[BKTX]

Intuit / Turbotax has some usefull instructions / explanations at https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/self-employment-taxes/how-to-file-taxes-with-irs-form-1099-misc...

Forms can be downloaded at no cost from the IRS website; your daughter probably won't need to pay income taxes, but she will be responsible for self employment taxes (Social security / medicare) which are 15.3% of her 1099-NEC self employment income. Schedule C will also allow her to deduct any expenses incurred in her self employment activities. IRS Instructions and forms for this can be found at https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employment-tax-social-security-an.... There is no cost (other than the postage) to download, complete and mail the 1040 and Schedule C to the IRS. Filing should also allow her to receive a refund for excess taxes withheld from her W2 wages. If the IRS instructions prove to be incomprehensible (which they usually are to mere mortals) there are plenty of You tube videos available to walk you through it. 

[fanfare]

trying to complete your tax return under tutelage of youtube does not sound very efficient,

if not tedious and frustrating and resulting in an incorrect filing.

That's why Intuit stock goes up.

@BKTX