Whether you need to file depends on your income, age, and filing status
You do not automatically have to file a tax return just because you earned money. The IRS sets a threshold — a minimum income level — and if your earnings fall below it, filing is optional. However, you may want to file anyway, because you might be owed a refund or be may have access to to tax credits that only show up when you file.
The threshold changes each year and depends on whether you are single, married, self-employed, or over 65. If you earned less than the threshold for your situation, you can skip filing. If you earned more, you must file. The tricky part is knowing which threshold applies to you.
Key Takeaways
- The IRS sets an income threshold each year; if you earned less than that threshold for your filing status, you do not have to file.
- Even if you do not have to file, you should file if you had taxes withheld from your paychecks, because you may be owed a refund.
- Self-employed people have a lower threshold (around $400 in net earnings) and almost always need to file.
- If you are claimed as a dependent on someone else's return, you have a separate, usually lower threshold.
- The IRS does not contact you to tell you to file; you are responsible for knowing whether you must.
Income thresholds for 2024 tax year (filed in 2025)
The threshold depends on your age and filing status. For the 2024 tax year, here are the main categories:
| Filing Status | Under 65 | Age 65 or Older |
|---|---|---|
| Single | $14,600 | $18,350 |
| Married filing jointly | $29,200 | $30,750 (one spouse 65+)$32,300 (both 65+) |
| Married filing separately | $1 | $1 |
| Head of household | $21,900 | $25,650 |
| may have access to widow(er) | $23,200 | $24,750 |
These numbers are your gross income — the total you earned before taxes or deductions. If your total income is below the threshold for your situation, you do not have to file. If it is at or above the threshold, you must file.
Thresholds increase slightly each year to account for inflation. Check the IRS website or your tax software for the current year's numbers if you are filing for a different tax year.
When you should file even if you do not have to
Just because you do not have to file does not mean you should not. If your employer withheld federal income tax from your paychecks, you may be owed a refund. The only way to get that money back is to file a return.
You should also file if you are may have access to to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Child Tax Credit. These credits can result in refunds even if you owe no tax. Many people with low to moderate incomes miss out on hundreds or thousands of dollars because they did not file.
If you received a 1099 form (for freelance work, interest, dividends, or other income), filing protects you. The IRS receives a copy of that form too, and filing shows you reported it correctly.
Self-employed people and the $400 rule
If you are self-employed, the threshold is much lower. You must file if your net earnings from self-employment are $400 or more in a year. Net earnings means what you made after subtracting business expenses.
This applies whether you are a sole proprietor, a freelancer, a gig worker, or run a side business. If you earned $400 or more in net profit, you must file, even if your total income is below the standard threshold for your filing status.
Self-employed filers also need to pay self-employment tax, which covers Social Security and Medicare. Filing is how you report and pay this tax.
If you are claimed as a dependent
If someone else claims you as a dependent on their tax return — usually a parent — you have a lower threshold. For 2024, if you are a dependent and single, you must file if your earned income is $14,600 or more, or if your unearned income (like interest or dividends) is $1,250 or more.
The rules are more complex if you have both earned and unearned income, so check the IRS worksheet or use tax software to be sure. Being claimed as a dependent does not automatically mean you cannot file; it just means you cannot claim yourself as an independent.
What happens if you do not file when you should
If you owe tax and do not file, the IRS can assess penalties and interest. The failure-to-file penalty is usually 5 percent of the unpaid tax for each month you are late, up to 25 percent total.
If you are owed a refund and do not file, you straightforward do not get the money. The IRS does not send it to you automatically. However, you can file a return up to three years after the original due date and still claim a refund.
The IRS does not contact you to remind you to file. You are responsible for knowing whether you must file and for doing so by the important date, which is usually April 15 of the following year.
How to determine your filing status
Your filing status is determined by your marital status on December 31 of the tax year. If you were married on that date, you can file jointly or separately. If you were single, divorced, or widowed, you file as single or head of household (if you paid more than half the household expenses for a dependent).
Your filing status affects your income threshold, your tax rate, and which credits you can claim. If you are unsure which status applies to you, the IRS website has a tool to help you determine it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I earned money but had no taxes withheld?
You still may need to file if your income is above the threshold for your filing status. Even if no tax was withheld, you may owe tax. However, if your income is below the threshold and no tax was withheld, you do not have to file — though you might want to if you are may have access to to credits like the EITC.
Do I have to file if I only earned interest or investment income?
It depends on how much. For 2024, if you are single and under 65, you must file if your unearned income (interest, dividends, capital gains) is $1,250 or more. The threshold is higher if you are married or over 65. Check the IRS rules for your filing status.
What if I am not sure whether I earned above or below the threshold?
Add up all the income reported on your W-2 forms, 1099 forms, and any other income you received. Compare the total to the threshold for your filing status and age. If you are close or unsure, filing is the safer choice — you cannot be penalized for filing when you did not have to.
Can I file even if I do not have to?
Yes. There is no penalty for filing when you are not required to. In fact, filing is often the right choice if you had taxes withheld or if you may be may have access to to credits or a refund.
Where do I find the current year's income thresholds?
The IRS publishes thresholds each year on its website (irs.gov). You can also find them in the instructions that come with tax forms, or in most tax software when you start preparing your return.