Can I file my own self-employment taxes if my parents claim me as a dependent?

Yes, you absolutely can file your own tax return for self-employment income while your parents still claim you as a dependent! This is actually a pretty common situation. What matters here is whether you meet the criteria for being claimed as a dependent, not whether you file your own return. As an 18-year-old, if you live with your parents for more than half the year and they provide more than half of your financial support, they can generally still claim you as their dependent. You'll need to file your own return for your self-employment income if you make $400 or more from your photography business. You'll report this income on Schedule C and calculate self-employment tax on Schedule SE. When completing your tax return, you'll simply check the box that says "Someone can claim you as a dependent" on your 1040 form.

When I was in college, I was in a similar situation with my parents claiming me while I had a side gig doing graphic design. What helped me IMMENSELY was using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to figure out how to handle my situation. It analyzed my specific circumstances and gave me personalized guidance for my self-employment taxes. The tool explains exactly what forms you need and how to fill them out for your photography business. It even helped me understand what business expenses I could legitimately deduct (camera equipment, editing software, etc.) which saved me hundreds in taxes. Way better than trying to piece together advice from random websites.

I wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai. Despite my initial skepticism, I decided to give it a try for my son's situation (he's 19 with both a regular job and a small online business). I'm actually impressed with how it handled everything! It clearly explained the dependent filing rules and walked through all the self-employment deductions he could take. It even caught some home office deductions we would have missed. The guidance for Schedule C and SE was super clear - much more helpful than the generic advice I was finding elsewhere. For anyone else with teens straddling dependent status and self-employment, it's worth checking out. Definitely helped us navigate this confusing situation without exposing his business details to our family accountant.

If you need to call the IRS with questions about your situation (which I highly recommend), use Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I wasted HOURS on hold trying to reach someone at the IRS about my dependent filing status while also being self-employed. With Claimyr, they call the IRS for you and then connect you once an agent is on the line. I was initially just going to wing it on my taxes, but I had questions about some specific deductions for my side business. Getting direct answers from the IRS gave me confidence I was filing correctly. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c

OK I need to eat my words from my earlier comment. After struggling for THREE DAYS trying to get through to the IRS about my dependent daughter's self-employment situation, I broke down and tried Claimyr. I was connected to an IRS agent in about 40 minutes (without me having to sit there on hold). The agent clarified exactly how my daughter should report her income while still being claimed on our return. Turns out I had completely misunderstood some of the rules about Schedule C deductions for dependents with small businesses. For anyone dealing with this dependent/self-employment situation, speaking directly with the IRS is actually super helpful. They explained everything clearly and now we're confident about filing correctly.

Don't overthink this! Your parents claim you as a dependent, and you file your own return checking the box that someone else can claim you. Simple as that. But PLEASE be aware that self-employment taxes are no joke - you'll owe about 15% in self-employment tax ON TOP OF regular income tax. Put aside at least 25-30% of whatever you make from your photography business for taxes. Also, you might need to make quarterly estimated tax payments if you start making good money. The IRS doesn't like waiting until April for their money!

Has anyone mentioned state taxes yet? Remember you'll need to handle those too! Some states have different rules for dependents filing their own returns.

Just wanted to add something that might help with your photography business - make sure you're tracking ALL your business expenses from day one! Things like camera equipment, editing software subscriptions, travel to photo shoots, even a portion of your phone bill if you use it for business calls can be deductible. I started a small videography business at 19 while my parents still claimed me, and I wish someone had told me to keep better records earlier. Even small expenses add up and can significantly reduce your taxable self-employment income. Get a separate bank account for your photography business if possible - it makes tracking so much easier come tax time. Also, don't forget about potential business use of your home if you do editing work there. You might be able to claim a home office deduction even while living with your parents, though the rules are pretty specific about exclusive business use of the space.