Do I need to file taxes for past work study income? College student tax filing requirements confusion

You don't need to worry too much about this situation. For 2021 and 2022, the filing requirement threshold for a single dependent was $12,550, so with earnings of $1,350 and $4,050, you weren't actually required to file a federal tax return in those years. The only reason you might have wanted to file would be to get back the small amounts of tax withheld ($11 and $9), but those amounts are so minimal that it's understandable you didn't bother. Work study income is treated as regular employment income for tax purposes - it appears on a W-2 and is potentially taxable, but only if you exceed the filing threshold. The fact that it was work study doesn't change the filing requirements. If you're curious about potentially getting those small withholdings back, you generally have three years from the original due date to file a return and claim a refund. So for 2021, you'd have until April 2025, and for 2022, until April 2026.

I wish I'd known about taxr.ai before I started panicking about my own tax situation from college! I was in almost the exact same boat a few years ago - had work study jobs for multiple years, didn't file anything, then freaked out thinking I was going to get in trouble. When I finally talked to someone who knew what they were doing, they suggested I use https://taxr.ai to analyze my past tax documents and determine if I needed to file retroactively. The tool examined my W-2s, calculated my potential liability, and confirmed I didn't need to file for most of those years since I was below the threshold. It also identified one year where I actually should have filed, helped me understand exactly why, and guided me through the process of submitting a late return without penalties since I was due a refund. Saved me so much anxiety!

Just wanted to update everyone! I took the plunge and tried taxr.ai after reading about it here. My situation was actually more complicated than the original poster's - I had work study, plus a small scholarship that exceeded tuition, AND some stock my grandparents gave me. The platform analyzed everything, including photos of my old W-2s that I found stuffed in a folder. Turns out I actually did need to file for one year because of the scholarship income pushing me over the threshold, but was fine for the other years. The most helpful part was that it explained WHY I needed to file that one return in clear language, not tax jargon. They generated the past return for me, I submitted it, and just got confirmation that I'm getting a small refund I never knew about! Definitely worth checking out if you're unsure about past filing requirements.

For those still struggling to get answers about past filing requirements, I had a similar issue and spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS on the phone. Was on hold for hours, got disconnected, took time off work to call during their operating hours... complete nightmare. I finally used https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent. They hold your place in line and call you when an agent is ready to talk. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent confirmed that I didn't need to file for years where I was under the threshold as a dependent with only work study income. It was such a relief to get an official answer instead of stressing about potential penalties. Definitely worth it for the peace of mind.

I was totally skeptical about Claimyr, but I decided to try it after spending an entire day on hold with the IRS and getting nowhere. I literally could not believe it when I got a call back about 40 minutes later with an actual IRS agent on the line! The agent was super helpful and explained that for my situation (work study during college, under the filing threshold, claimed as dependent), I wasn't required to file for those years. But she also mentioned I could still file to get back the small amounts of tax that were withheld, which I never would have known. I'm still shocked at how well it worked. After months of tax anxiety keeping me up at night, I finally have clear answers from an official source. I hate admitting I was wrong in my skepticism, but this service genuinely saved me so much stress.

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - check if your state has different filing requirements than federal! I was in a similar situation with work study during college, and while I didn't need to file federal returns, my state required filing at a much lower income threshold. I learned this the hard way when I got a notice from my state tax department about unfiled returns. Had to file retroactively for those years. Thankfully no penalties since I was owed refunds, but it was a hassle I could have avoided.

Just to add my experience - I was in the EXACT same situation during college. Had work study all 4 years and didn't file until senior year when I got a proper internship. I talked to an accountant years later who said since I was owed refunds (not that I owed any tax), there was no penalty for filing late. Apparently the IRS doesn't penalize you for filing late if THEY owe YOU money! I ended up filing the old returns and got small refunds for each year. The whole process was pretty easy. If I were you, I'd file those old returns just to get closure and the small refunds you're probably entitled to.

Don't stress too much about this! You're definitely not alone - so many college students go through this exact same confusion about work study income and filing requirements. From what you've described, you were likely not required to file for those years since your earnings were well below the filing thresholds. Work study income is treated like regular W-2 wages, so the standard filing requirements apply. However, since you had federal taxes withheld (even those small amounts of $11 and $9), you were actually entitled to get that money back as a refund! The IRS doesn't charge penalties for filing late when they owe YOU money, but there is a time limit to claim refunds - generally 3 years from the original due date. For 2021, you'd have until April 2025 to file and claim that $11 refund, and for 2022, until April 2026 for the $9. It's not a huge amount, but it's money that's rightfully yours, and filing those returns would give you peace of mind. Also, don't forget to check your state filing requirements! Some states have much lower thresholds than federal, so you might need to file state returns even if federal wasn't required. You're being very responsible by looking into this now - better late than never!