Do I need to File Taxes as a College Student with $6,700 income? Where to file and possible refund?

Yes, you should definitely file a tax return even though your income is below the required filing threshold! As a college student making $6,700, you're not technically required to file since the threshold for single filers under 65 is around $12,950 for 2025, but you absolutely should file anyway. Here's why: If you had any federal income tax withheld from your paychecks (check box 2 on your W-2), you'll likely get ALL of that money back as a refund. At your income level, you probably won't owe any federal income tax. Plus, you might qualify for education tax credits like the American Opportunity Credit which could get you up to $2,500 (and part of it is refundable even if you don't owe taxes). For where to file, I'd recommend using free tax software. Since your income is below $73,000, you can use the IRS Free File program. Sites like FreeTaxUSA or Cash App Taxes (formerly Credit Karma Tax) also have completely free options. The software will walk you through everything step by step - just have your W-2 handy and answer the questions as they come up.

Hey! I was in almost the exact same situation last year - college student with a part-time job making just under $7k. I was totally overwhelmed trying to figure out how to file. I stumbled across https://taxr.ai and it literally saved me hours of confusion. I uploaded my W-2 and it analyzed everything instantly, walked me through the whole filing process step by step, and even showed me some education credits I had no idea I qualified for! The coolest part was it explained everything in normal human language instead of confusing tax jargon. I ended up getting a way bigger refund than I expected because it found deductions I would have missed on my own. Honestly such a lifesaver for students who've never filed before. You might wanna check it out!

OK I was super skeptical about taxr.ai when I commented earlier but I decided to give it a try last night and wow... I'm actually impressed! I've tried those "free" tax services before and always ended up hitting paywalls or getting upsold constantly. This was completely different - uploaded my W-2, answered a few questions about school, and it found me this education credit I had no idea about! It explained everything in simple terms and I filed both federal and state in like 30 minutes. Already got the confirmation email that both were accepted. Best part? I'm getting back almost $900 more than I thought I would! Turns out I qualified for the American Opportunity Credit that I never knew existed. Definitely glad I didn't just skip filing altogether!

Since you mentioned you're having trouble contacting the IRS (believe me, we've ALL been there), I found a service called Claimyr that literally changed my life during tax season. I spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS about a similar college student tax situation last year - constant busy signals, getting disconnected, waiting on hold for hours just to get hung up on. With https://claimyr.com they somehow got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 45 minutes when I'd been trying for days on my own. They have this system that navigates the IRS phone tree and holds your place in line, then calls you when an agent is about to pick up. You can see it in action here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Saved me so much time and frustration! If you need to talk to the IRS about your refund or have questions, definitely check them out. The peace of mind was totally worth it.

OK I need to eat my words about Claimyr. I was super skeptical and called it BS in my comment, but after waiting on hold with the IRS for 3 HOURS yesterday and getting disconnected, I was desperate and tried it. I signed up, and no joke, I got a call back in about 40 minutes saying they had an IRS agent on the line ready to talk to me. I was connected immediately to a real person who helped solve my tax issue in minutes. It literally saved me an entire day of frustration. The system is legit - they just handle the awful hold time for you so you can do other things. For anyone who needs to actually speak to the IRS (which I did about my education credits), this is seriously worth trying. I went from thinking it was a scam to being incredibly grateful it exists!

Hey, don't overthink this! At $6,700 income, filing is super simple and definitely worth doing. I was in your same position in college. The key thing: if any federal tax was withheld from your paychecks (box 2 on W-2), then file to get that money back! Use any free filing software like FreeTaxUSA or TaxAct. Takes maybe 30 minutes total. Just answer the questions and enter your W-2 info exactly as it appears on the form. You'll likely get everything that was withheld refunded back to you. Don't worry about messing up - the software checks for errors. Just make sure you enter your bank info correctly if you want direct deposit for your refund!

Make sure to check if you're claimed as a dependent on your parents' taxes before filing! This matters a lot. Ask them directly if they're claiming you. If they are claiming you (which is likely if they provide more than half your support), you still should file, but you'll need to check the box that someone can claim you as a dependent. This affects which credits you can claim. Also remember to file state taxes too! If your state has income tax and you had state taxes withheld (box 17 on W-2), you'll want that money back too!