Can I file taxes with only CalWORKs income and unreported babysitting money?

you should still file even with just calworks. you can get earned income credit for the babysitting $ if u report it. and theres child tax credit too if u have kids. i did mine last year with just cash aid and some doordash work

Yes, you should definitely file taxes! Even with just CalWORKs and side income. Here's why: 1. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit can be substantial money back in your pocket - possibly thousands depending on how many children you have and their ages. 2. Your CalWORKs benefits are not taxable income, but they do need to be reported on certain tax forms. 3. For the babysitting income, you would file as self-employed using Schedule C. Since it's under $6,000 for the year, your tax liability would likely be minimal after deductions. Regarding your concern about not reporting the income to CalWORKs - yes, technically you should have reported any income on your Semi-Annual Report (SAR7). The county could potentially calculate an overpayment if they find out. However, filing taxes and correcting your reporting going forward is always better than continuing to hide income. Many free tax preparation services can help you through programs like VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance). They specifically help people with lower incomes file properly.

To answer your follow-up questions: You don't need special forms to prove you receive CalWORKs when filing taxes. CalWORKs payments aren't reported on your tax return because they're considered public assistance and not taxable income. Schedule C is just a form that's part of your tax return where you report self-employment income like babysitting. Yes, TurboTax will walk you through this - it'll ask about any side jobs or independent work and guide you through the Schedule C process. It's pretty straightforward! For your babysitting income, you can deduct reasonable expenses like supplies you bought for activities with the kids, snacks you provided, or transportation costs specifically for babysitting. This reduces your taxable income.

I've been in a similar situation before and ended up with an overpayment notice from CalWORKs for not reporting some side income I made. It really sucks because they take 10% of your cash aid until it's paid back. BUT I also learned that if you go to them and self-report before they catch you, sometimes they're more lenient. They might just calculate the overpayment without adding any penalties. It's scary but better than living in fear wondering if they'll catch you. Also, just be aware that the IRS and county welfare departments DO share information. My friend didn't report her Etsy shop income on her taxes OR to CalWORKs and eventually got hit with both an overpayment AND a tax bill with penalties. Not worth it!

Yeah, I just called my worker and explained the situation. I was super nervous but it wasn't as bad as I expected. They had me fill out a form estimating how much I earned during each month I didn't report. Then they calculated the overpayment amount. They took 10% of my cash aid each month until it was paid back. It wasn't fun but it wasn't the end of the world either. What really helped was that I initiated the conversation before they discovered it themselves - the worker actually told me they appreciate the honesty because most people don't come forward. For reporting irregular income going forward, you just report the actual amount you received in the SAR7 reporting period. You don't need to average it or anything.

If ur worried about calworks overpayment u should know theres a income reporting threshold (IRT). they give u this number on ur approval letters. as long as u stay under that amount u dont have to report income until ur next SAR7. so if ur IRT is like $2500 a month and u only made like $200 from babysitting here and there u might be fine??? i think the bigger issue is taxes. u can file as self employed and probably still get EITC and child tax credit. my sis did that and got like $4k back even with only calworks and some side gigs!!!!

A few important facts for your situation: 1. CalWORKs has an Income Reporting Threshold (IRT). You only need to report income mid-period if it exceeds your IRT amount, which is listed on your benefits approval notices. For most families, this is well over $2,000 per month. If your babysitting income was only a few hundred dollars here and there, you technically only needed to report it on your regular SAR7 forms. 2. For taxes, you're considered self-employed. You'll file a Schedule C with your taxes showing your babysitting income. You can deduct reasonable business expenses like supplies, snacks provided, and transportation specifically for babysitting work. 3. You should absolutely file taxes! The Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit could be worth thousands to you. You can file for free through VITA programs (search for 'VITA free tax help' in your area). 4. Going forward, keep a simple log of your babysitting income - just note dates and amounts in a notebook or your phone. This makes both SAR7 reporting and tax filing much easier. Many parents on CalWORKs have side income from informal work. The important thing is to start reporting it correctly going forward.

i got calworks too and i ALWAYS file taxes!!!! u crazy not to with kids!!!! i got back $5600 last year with 2 kids and i only worked at amazon for 4 months!!!! rest of year just cash aid. the earned income credit + child tax credit is HUGE money. also about the babysitting thing my cousin does hair in her apt and never reported it to calworks for like 2 years. they found out when she filed taxes and reported the income. they did make her pay back some CalWORKs $ but it wasnt that bad, like $60 a month. and they didnt kick her off or anything. just my 2 cents

so wait a minute.... if ur on welfare and never worked at a real job are u even eligible to file taxes? i thought u needed a w2 or something??

You definitely should file taxes! I was in almost the exact same situation last year - getting CalWORKs and doing babysitting on the side. I was so scared about the whole thing but it turned out to be totally worth it. Here's what I learned: You can file with just self-employment income (that's what babysitting counts as). I used the free tax software through IRS Free File and it walked me through everything. The Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit are HUGE - I got back over $3,000 with two kids! About the CalWORKs reporting thing - I was honest with my worker about some unreported side income and they were actually pretty understanding. They calculated an overpayment but let me pay it back slowly through small deductions from my monthly grant. The tax refund I got was way more than what I had to pay back, so it was still a win. My advice: file your taxes and get that money, then be more careful about reporting going forward. Keep track of your babysitting income in a little notebook or your phone. You got this!