Do I Need to File a Tax Return?
Hi, I’m Kasey, and I’m a tax expert here with Intuit’s TurboTax. I’m here today to talk about some frequently asked questions that many taxpayers have.
Do I need to file?
Not everyone is required to file a tax return every year. Generally, if your income doesn’t exceed certain thresholds, you don’t even have to file a return. The amount of income that you can earn before you have to file a tax return also depends on:
- type of income
- filing status
- age
Your income that is equal to or less than the standard deduction is not considered taxable and you won’t have to file a tax return. For 2018, if you’re under 65 and single, and your wages are less than $12,000, then you’re not required to file an income tax return.
There are years where you may not be required to file a federal return, but you’ll want to anyways. If you made less than the required amount, but you had federal taxes taken out of your paycheck, then the only way you’ll get that money back is if you file a tax return with the IRS.
To learn more about whether you need to file a return, go to irs.gov.