Do I need to file a federal return this year?

Whether you need to file a federal tax return this year depends mostly on how much money you made in 2024, your age, and your filing status.

You also must file a federal return if:

• You had $400 or more in self-employment net earnings (gross income minus expenses)
• You had marketplace health insurance and you received advance payments for the premium tax credit
• You (or your spouse if filing jointly) received health savings account, Archer MSA, or Medicare Advantage MSA distribution
• You had wages of $108.28 or more from a church or qualified church-controlled organization that is exempt from employer social security and Medicare taxes
• You owe any special taxes, including any of the following:
  • Alternative minimum tax
  • Additional tax on a qualified plan, including an individual retirement arrangement (IRA), or other tax-favored account
  • Household employment taxes
  • Social security and Medicare tax on tips you didn't report to your employer or on wages you received from an employer who didn't withhold these taxes
  • Uncollected social security and Medicare or RRTA tax on tips you reported to your employer or on group-term life insurance and additional taxes on health savings accounts
  • Recapture taxes

Even if you're not required to, you may want to file a tax return to recover federal tax withheld from your paychecks throughout the year.

If you're being claimed as a dependent on someone else's 2024 return, like your parents, go to Do I need to file my own taxes if I'm a dependent?