Help with filling taxes for teenager with minimal income

[Jackblack55]

Hello,

My 18 year-old daughter (who goes to college and lives with me) earned about $900 in income (W-2) and $800 in  bank interest (1099-INT) last year.

What's the best way to file my/her taxes?

a.  she files by herself?

b.  I include her income & interest in my tax return?

c.  she doesn't file taxes because her total income/interest is too low, and I don't include her income/interest in my tax return (because it's too low) but still include her as a dependent?

Thanks!

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

You do not enter her earned income on your tax return.  Her combined earned income and unearned income is below the filing requirements for a tax return.  So she does not need to file.

You claim her as your dependent under the Qualifying Child rules.

To be a Qualifying Child -

1. The child must be your son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a descendant of any of them.
2. The child must be (a) under age 19 at the end of the year, (b) under age 24 at the end of the year and a full-time student or (c) any age and permanently and totally disabled.
3. The child must have lived with you for more than half of the year. Temporary absences while away at college are considered living with you.
4. The child must not have provided more than half of his or her own support for the year.
5. If the child meets the rules to be a qualifying child of more than one person, you must be the person entitled to claim the child as a qualifying child.
6. The child must be a U.S. citizen or U.S., Canada or Mexico resident for some portion of the year.
7. The child must be younger than you unless disabled.

[Bsch4477]

She would only file to get back any tax withheld on her W-2.  If she does file be sure that she checks the box saying something can claim her. She is your dependent and you don’t include her income on your return. 

[Jackblack55]

what's the threshold for "filing requirements"?

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

---

@Jackblack55 wrote:

what's the threshold for "filing requirements"?

---

$1,300 for unearned income

$14,600 for earned income

[Jackblack55]

So, if she were to go over one of those thresholds, what would she do?  file taxes and check the box that someone else can claim her (and I include her in my tax return as a dependent)?

Thanks again!

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

---

@Jackblack55 wrote:

So, if she were to go over one of those thresholds, what would she do?  file taxes and check the box that someone else can claim her (and I include her in my tax return as a dependent)?

Thanks again!

---

Correct.

[sking10]

My teenage son made around $4500 in 2025 for which he received one lumpsum payment and the paystub shows taxes were withheld. Would the best case in this be file his taxes to get the refund back since what he earned is considered below the threshold? Anything else I should consider? Thanks!

[DoninGA]

@sking10 Since taxes were withheld, he should be receiving a W-2 from the employer.

He can file his own tax return to get a refund of the taxes withheld.  Make sure that he indicates on his tax return that he can be claimed as a dependent.

[AmeliesUncle]

---

@DoninGA wrote:

---

@Jackblack55 wrote:

what's the threshold for "filing requirements"?

---

$1,300 for unearned income

$14,600 for earned income

---

I realize this is an old post, but you are missing the third threshold, which specifically applies to the OP.   Based on the two you listed, the OP would not need to file.  But the third one requires the OP's daughter to file a tax return (2024 amounts listed below).

Your gross income was more than the larger of:

1. $1,300, or

2. Your earned income (up to $14,150) plus $450.

https://www.irs.gov/publications/p501#en_US_2024_publink1000220702

[Mike9241]

in part the filing thresholds are based on whether your teenager is a dependent (even  if they are but you don't claim them)

here's a link to the 2025 instructions 

if not a dependent look at charts A and C

if a dependent (even if not claimed) look at charts B and C

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf 

[sking10]

---

@DoninGA wrote:

@sking10 Since taxes were withheld, he should be receiving a W-2 from the employer.

He can file his own tax return to get a refund of the taxes withheld.  Make sure that he indicates on his tax return that he can be claimed as a dependent.

---

I received his W-2. Is it recommended to file both the tax returns - his and ours' (married filing jointly) - at the same time, or is it ok to file his first and ours' few weeks later?

[SharonD007]

No, you don't have to file your child's tax return when you file yours.  It doesn't matter which one that you file first. 

Your child can file a tax return to get their refund.  When completing their taxes, make sure that they enter that they can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return. ‌ 

Refer to the TurboTax article: How do I indicate that I can be claimed as a dependent on someone else's return?