filing

MY DEPENDENT HAD A JOB

If your dependent has a W-2 for his after-school job, summer job, etc. you do not include the information on your own return. You can still claim your child as a dependent on your own return.  He/she can file his own return for a refund of some of his withheld wages (he won’t get back anything for Social Security or Medicare), but MUST indicate on it that he can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return.  (Supervise this closely or prepare it for him!)

If your dependent’s earnings were over $400 and were reported on a 1099Misc or 1099NEC then he must file a return and pay self-employment tax for Social Security and Medicare.

You might also want to use free software from the IRS Free File versions:

https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/

It depends on the source of her income. If it is all on a W-2 form, she is not required to file, but may want to if any federal tax was withheld (box 2 of W2). 

A dependent is required to file a return when:

• Earned income (money you made by working) exceeds $12,950
• Unearned income (interest, dividends, capital gains, etc.) exceeds $1,100
• Business or self-employment income is at least $400
• Gross income exceeds the larger of $1,100 or earned income (up to $12,600) plus $350

But even if her income falls below these filing requirements, you'll want to file a tax return to get a refund of any federal or state taxes withheld from your paychecks.