I live in Massachusetts and my 16 year old daughter has income from 2 different W-2's. If she only grossed about $3,000, does she need to file taxes?

[jeffrmoulton]

If it is mandatory then I will just add it to my wife and I's joint return.
Thank you

[xmasbaby0]

No.   You do not put your child's W-2's on your own tax return.  

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.

[Hal_Al]

You do not report his/her income on your return. If it has to be reported, at all, it goes on his own return. If your dependent child is under age 19 (or under 24 if a full time student), he or she must file a tax return for 2022 if he had any of the following:

1.          Total income (wages, salaries, taxable scholarship etc.) of more than  $12,950 (2022).
2.          Unearned income (interest, dividends, capital gains, unemployment, taxable portion of 529 distribution) of more than $1100 ($1150 for 2022)
3.          Unearned income over $350 ($400 for 2022) and gross income of more than $1100 ($1150 for 2022)
4.          Household employee income (e.g. baby sitting, lawn mowing) over $2300 ($12,950 if under age 18)
5.          Other self employment income over $432, including money on a form 1099-NEC

Even if he had less, he is allowed to file if he needs to get back income tax withholding. He cannot get back social security or Medicare tax withholding.

In TurboTax, he indicates that somebody else can claim him as a dependent, at the personal information section.