File only State, Fed not required

[aleardi83]

My daughter is not required to file a federal return, did not make enough money, but will be filing her Michigan to get a refund.  Will this  cause some error or problem later if she does not file the fed return?

Thank you

[VolvoGirl]

If you didn't use Turbo Tax to do your federal return, you would first have to fill out a federal return and you would have to pay for federal for it to flow into the state return. Then you would have to pay for state and mail the state return.
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/filing-and-paying-taxes/help/can-i-prepare-and-file-just-my-state-...

[john-ct]

Some states, like NY, require a copy of the federal return to be attached to the state return.  But may also allow a "pro-forma" federal return - a filled out but not filed return.  As the other respondent said Turbo Tax fills in the state return with info from the federal one, but you don't have to file both.  Also it should be fairly simple for her with only one source of income.  If it were my daughter, I would fill out the return in "Forms" rather than go through the whole interview process, and just provide any add'l info they need for e-filing.  Or just print out the State form and mail it in.