If my teenage dependents have earnings for the year do I file their W2 as well?

jmasterson0116 · ‎February 6, 2023

Can there earnings be added to mine I guess is the point of the question and if I don't claim their income will I be penalized

xmasbaby0 · ‎February 6, 2023

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/

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

MsMackie · ‎February 6, 2023

No, you do not add your dependent's earings to yours. Their earnings are reported under their own SSN. They are not required to file a tax return unless they earned more than $12,950. However, they may choose to file if they had taxes withheld and want to get them refunded.