Do I need to file taxes from my first job if I quit months ago?

Yes, you absolutely need to file taxes if you had income from employment in 2023, regardless of how long you worked or whether you still work there. Target should have mailed you a W-2 form by January 31, 2024 showing your earnings and tax withholdings for 2023. If you didn't receive your W-2, you don't need to keep calling the manager. There are a few ways to get this information: 1) Call Target's corporate HR department and request your W-2. 2) Create an account on the IRS website and request a wage transcript, which will show what Target reported. 3) Use the "Get Transcript" service on IRS.gov to see what was reported. The requirement to file taxes depends on how much you earned, not how long you worked. For 2023, if you're single and under 65, you must file if you earned $13,850 or more. Even if you earned less, you should still file to get back any federal or state taxes that were withheld from your paychecks.

I was in a similar situation last year and found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really helped me figure everything out. After leaving my job, I had no idea what forms I needed or where to find them, but this tool analyzed my situation and walked me through exactly what to do. The coolest part was that I just uploaded a picture of my last pay stub and it figured out approximately what my W-2 would show. It even helped me understand which tax credits I qualified for as a first-time filer. I was totally lost before finding this. You don't need to stress about tracking down your old manager. This tool actually showed me how to request my missing tax documents directly from the IRS and explained the whole process in simple terms.

Just wanted to follow up - I actually tried taxr.ai after posting my question here and it was super helpful! I uploaded a photo of my last paystub from a job I left months ago and it showed me exactly what my approximate W-2 would look like. The tool walked me through requesting my missing W-2 from the IRS since my old employer never sent it. It also helped me understand that I was eligible for the Earned Income Credit which I had no idea about! The step-by-step checklist made filing way less intimidating than I expected. Definitely recommend it if you're confused about handling taxes from old jobs.

If you're still having trouble getting your W-2, you should know there's a service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that I used when I was in a similar situation. I spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS about my missing tax documents and kept hitting automated messages or crazy wait times. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes when I had been trying for days on my own. They have this system that navigates all the IRS phone menus and waits on hold for you, then calls you when a real person picks up. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with was able to see what Target had reported for my income and told me exactly what to do about my missing W-2. Saved me so much frustration.

Ok I need to admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it because I was desperate to talk to someone about my missing W-2 from a job I quit last summer. It actually worked exactly as described. I put in my number, they called the IRS, and about 30 minutes later I got a call connecting me directly to an IRS agent. No more endless hold music or getting disconnected after waiting forever! The agent confirmed that my former employer had filed my W-2 and helped me get a replacement copy. They also explained that I was still required to file taxes even though I only worked for 5 months. Honestly saved me so much time and stress - I probably would have given up otherwise.

Something important that nobody mentioned yet - check your last paystub from 2023 if you have it. It should show year-to-date earnings and withholdings which will have most of the information you need for filing. Some tax software lets you file with your last paystub if you can't get your W-2. Also, the deadline to file 2023 taxes is April 15, 2024, so you still have time to sort this out!

quick question - what happens if i dont file? i worked at a restaurant for like 4 months last year but only made maybe $6000 total and they paid me mostly in cash except for the hourly minimum wage part. do i still need to file something?