Do I have to file taxes for 2024 income? Confused about requirements
Hey everyone, I'm really confused about whether I actually need to file taxes this year. I worked part-time at two different jobs and made about $11,800 total. One job was at a retail store where I earned around $7,300, and the other was waiting tables where I made about $4,500 including tips. Both places took taxes out of my paychecks, but I'm not sure if I earned enough to actually be required to file. I'm 24 and still live with my parents, but they don't claim me as a dependent anymore. I paid for more than half of my own expenses. I've heard different things from friends - some say I don't need to file because I didn't make over $12,950, others say I definitely need to file to get a refund of what was withheld. I don't want to waste time filing if I don't have to, but also don't want to get in trouble with the IRS! Does anyone know what the actual filing requirements are for my situation? Thanks in advance for any help!
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Sean Flanagan
You should definitely file your taxes even if you aren't technically required to. Here's why: If both employers withheld federal income taxes from your paychecks, you'll likely get a refund when you file. The only way to get that money back is to file a tax return. For the record, the filing requirement for 2024 (for taxes filed in 2025) for a single person under 65 who isn't claimed as a dependent is $13,850 in gross income. Since you made $11,800, you're technically under the threshold for required filing. However, if you had tip income from your server job, you're actually required to file if you received more than $20 in tips in any month and didn't report all of them to your employer. The IRS takes tip reporting very seriously. Also, depending on your state, you might have a state filing requirement even if you don't have a federal one.
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Zara Shah
•What if their parents are still claiming them as a dependent even though they say they aren't? Would that change things? Also, does it matter if one of the jobs didn't give them a W-2 yet?
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Sean Flanagan
•If their parents incorrectly claimed them as a dependent when they shouldn't have, that would create problems for everyone involved. The filing threshold is lower for dependents - only $1,250 if you have unearned income or your earned income plus $400 if you only have earned income. So they would definitely need to file in that case. Regarding the W-2, employers are required by law to provide W-2s by January 31st. If they haven't received one yet, they should contact their employer immediately. They can also contact the IRS for help if the employer doesn't provide it. Either way, they still need to file their taxes on time, with or without the W-2.
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NebulaNomad
I was in almost the exact same situation last year! I worked two part-time jobs and wasn't sure if I needed to file. After spending hours trying to figure it out on the IRS website, I found this tool called https://taxr.ai that makes it super easy to understand your tax situation. I just uploaded my W-2s and answered a few questions, and it told me right away that I should file even though I wasn't required to. It showed me exactly how much refund I was missing out on by not filing! The tool analyzed my withholdings and showed I was due back almost everything that had been withheld. It also explained all the tax jargon in simple English which was honestly such a relief because I was so confused by all the different filing requirements and thresholds.
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Luca Ferrari
•Does it work for more complicated situations too? I have some 1099 income plus a W-2 job and I'm always confused about estimated tax payments.
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Nia Wilson
•I'm skeptical of these tax tools. How does it compare to something like TurboTax or H&R Block? Does it actually file your taxes or just tell you if you need to file?
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NebulaNomad
•It definitely works for more complicated situations! I've used it for my side gig income too. You can upload 1099s just like W-2s, and it will analyze your estimated tax payment requirements. It even gives suggestions about quarterly payments if you need to make them. As for comparing to TurboTax or H&R Block, it's actually different - it's more of an analysis tool that helps you understand your tax situation before you file. It doesn't replace tax filing software, but it helps you know exactly what to expect before you start the filing process. I used it to figure out my situation, then used free filing software once I knew what I needed to do.
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Nia Wilson
Just wanted to update after trying that taxr.ai site that was mentioned. I was super skeptical (as you could tell from my comment), but I decided to give it a shot with my complicated tax situation. I was honestly surprised - it analyzed my W-2 and 1099 income and clearly showed me where I stood with the IRS. Turns out I've been overpaying on my estimated taxes for my freelance work! The analysis showed I could reduce my quarterly payments by about $340 each quarter and still be safe. The site explained exactly which deductions I qualified for with my 1099 income that I had no idea about. I'm actually going to save about $1,800 on my taxes this year by claiming home office and other business expenses properly. Wish I'd known about this sooner!
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Mateo Martinez
If you're having trouble figuring out if you need to file taxes, you might also run into issues if you need to contact the IRS directly with questions. I spent THREE DAYS trying to get through to someone at the IRS last month about a similar filing question. I finally found https://claimyr.com which is this service that basically holds your place in the IRS phone queue and calls you when an agent is about to answer. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Saved me hours of waiting on hold! I finally got through to an IRS agent who confirmed that even though I was under the filing threshold, I should still file to get my refund. The agent was actually super helpful once I could actually talk to a human.
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Aisha Hussain
•Wait how does that even work? Do they have some special access to the IRS phone system? Sounds kinda sketchy tbh.
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Ethan Clark
•Yeah right, no way this actually works. The IRS phone system is notoriously impossible. I've literally never gotten through no matter what time of day I call. If this actually worked everyone would be using it.
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Mateo Martinez
•It's not sketchy at all! They don't have special access - they use technology to continuously dial and navigate the IRS phone system for you. It's like having someone else wait on hold instead of you. When they reach an agent, they connect the call to your phone. No special access, just smart automation. I was honestly shocked it worked too. I was expecting it to be another dead end, but I got a call back in about 75 minutes and was connected to an actual IRS agent. After spending days trying on my own and never getting through, it was pretty amazing. I guess not everyone knows about it yet - I only found it because a coworker recommended it.
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Ethan Clark
I need to publicly eat my words about that Claimyr service. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I've been trying to reach the IRS about a missing refund for WEEKS. Holy crap, it actually works. I got a call back in about 2 hours and spoke to a real IRS person who helped me track down my refund. Turns out there was a simple error with my direct deposit info that I couldn't see online. After multiple failed attempts calling on my own (always getting the "call volume too high" message), this literally saved me days of frustration. The IRS agent I spoke with was actually helpful once I could talk to them. I'm still shocked this worked.
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StarStrider
To answer the original question directly - the filing requirement thresholds for 2024 (filing in 2025) are: - Single, under 65: $13,850 - Head of household, under 65: $20,800 - Married filing jointly, both under 65: $27,700 But there are special rules if: - You're self-employed and earned more than $400 - You owe special taxes like alternative minimum tax - You have untaxed tips - You receive health insurance credits Even if you're not required to file, you should ALWAYS file if taxes were withheld from your paychecks to get a refund!
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Yuki Sato
•Is there a deadline to file if you're just trying to get a refund but aren't required to file? Like if I didn't file for 2022 but had withholding, can I still get that money back?
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StarStrider
•Yes, there's definitely a deadline. You have 3 years from the original due date to file a return and claim a refund. For 2022 returns (which were due April 18, 2023), you have until April 18, 2026 to file and claim any refund you're owed. If you miss that 3-year window, you lose the refund completely - the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury. So if you had withholding for 2022, you should definitely file before April 2026 to get that money back.
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Carmen Ruiz
Has anyone used the free filing options on the IRS website? I'm in a similar situation making under $12k and wondering if its worth paying for TurboTax or if the free options are good enough?
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Andre Lefebvre
•The IRS Free File is actually really good for simple tax situations. If you made under $73,000, you can use it. I used it last year for my W-2 income and it was straightforward. Just go to IRS.gov and search "Free File." Don't go directly to TurboTax's website if you want the free version - go through the IRS Free File portal to make sure you actually get the completely free version. TurboTax's website often upsells you to paid versions even if you qualify for free filing.
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