Student income limit to file taxes

[richlyntek]

My son is a college student who worked a summer job and received a W2 and also drove for door dash on the side while in school. Normally we file an income tax return and my son usually gets a refund equating to what taxes were withheld.  For 2023 he earned about $3400 on a W2 and about $800 on a 1099 since no taxes were withheld. Clearly its all under $5000 for the year.

The door dash earnings are being flagged as now owing $104 where in the past my son was always refunded any taxes withheld because of his low income.

Does my college student need to file income tax ?

Is there an income limit required to file income taxes for students? 

[xmasbaby0]

Your son has self-employment income ----he was an independent contractor for DoorDash.  So...he owes self-employment tax for that---Social Security and Medicare.  He has to file a return, but he can prepare a Schedule C for his expenses like mileage.   If you have the CD/download, you can do that with any version.   The online Premium is expensive--so you might want to look into using one of the Free File software programs on the IRS site for him.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2926899-how-does-my-side-job-affect-my-taxes

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/form-1099-nec/1099-nec/L5qTsBiSe_US_en_U...

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/self-employed/help/how-do-i-report-income-from-self-employment/00/...

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/self-employed/help/what-is-the-self-employment-tax/00/25922

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2902389-why-am-i-paying-self-employment-tax

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901340-where-do-i-enter-schedule-c

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3398950-what-self-employed-expenses-can-i-deduct

https://blog.turbotax.intuit.com/self-employed/self-employed-tax-deductions-

calculator-2021-2022-50907/

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/

[MinhT1]

.Income from DoorDash reported on form 1099-NEC is self-employment income. As your son has self-employment income over $400, he is required to file a tax return.

If your dependent son is under age 19 (or under 24 and a full-time student), he must file a tax return for 2023 if he had any of the following:

1. Total income (wages, salaries, taxable scholarship etc.) of more than $13,850 in 2023.
2. Unearned income (interest, dividends, capital gains) of more than $1,250.
3. Gross income (earned plus unearned) exceeding the larger of $1,250 or her earned income (up to $13,850) plus $400.
4. Other self-employment income over $400, including box 1 of a 1099-NEC.

Self-employment income is subject to income tax, and self-employment tax tax calculated at 15.3% of 92.35% of self-employment income.

On Self-employment income of $800, SE tax would be $113.

If he had taxes withheld on his W-2, this would reduce the amount of tax due.