Our daughter had a par time job for about two months last year. She is a high school student. Does she need to file and how does that change how we file?

[TomD8]

Assuming she's still your dependent, she must file her own federal tax return if in 2016 she had earned income (W-2) of $6,300 or more, net earnings from self-employment of $400 or more, or unearned income (e.g. interest and dividends) of  $1,050 or more.

IMPORTANT: If she files her own return, be sure she indicates on it that someone else can claim her as a dependent.

Even if her earned income was below $6,300, she must file a return if she wants a refund of any withheld federal income tax.

[SweetieJean]

State filing requirements may be different.