Do I need to file taxes if I received a W-2 but only worked a short time?

Thanks for the quick response! My total income for the whole year was only about $175 from those two shifts, and they withheld around $12 in federal taxes. I don't have any other income sources at all. So based on what you're saying, I technically don't have to file since I'm way under that standard deduction amount, right? But I would get that $12 back if I did file?

You're absolutely right - with only $175 in income, you're well below the filing requirement threshold, so you're not legally required to file a return. But yes, the only way to get that $12 in withholding back is to file a return. It's a pretty simple return to do since you only have one W-2 with minimal income. Most tax software will let you file federal returns for free with such simple tax situations, and it only takes about 15-20 minutes. Think of it as getting paid $12 for 20 minutes of work!

Does it work with other tax forms too? I have a W-2 plus a 1099 from a side gig and I'm never sure what I need to do with those together.

I'm always skeptical about these tax tools. How accurate is it really? Like does it actually understand all the weird tax exceptions and stuff? I've been burned before by "simple" tax solutions.

It definitely works with multiple forms! I originally tried it with just my W-2, but then remembered I also had a small 1099-NEC from a freelance project. I uploaded both documents and it combined the information to give me a complete picture of my tax situation and filing requirements. As for accuracy, I was skeptical too at first! But it specifically identified that my situation fell under an exception where I wasn't required to file but should file anyway to get my withholding back. It even cited the specific IRS rules that applied to my situation. I verified this with the IRS website afterward and everything matched up perfectly.

Wait how does this even work? Does it just call the IRS for you? I don't understand how it gets through when regular calls don't.

Yeah right. Nothing gets through to the IRS. I've tried calling them like 50 times this month. If this actually worked everyone would be using it and the IRS would shut it down.

It essentially navigates the IRS phone tree for you and holds your place in line. When it's about to connect with an agent, it calls you and connects you directly to that agent. It uses their system to continuously redial and hold your place when most people would give up. I was super skeptical too! I had spent three days trying to get through on my own with no success. The longest I waited was 4.5 hours before hanging up in frustration. With Claimyr, I got a call back in about 15 minutes saying they had an agent on the line. It was honestly shocking how quick it was. I think it works because most people don't know about it yet, and it's using the same phone system but with technology that doesn't "give up" like humans do.

That's a good point! I am actually a student and my parents do claim me as a dependent. I don't have any unearned income though - just that tiny amount from the W-2. Does that change anything about whether I need to file?

Since you only have earned income (from your W-2) and no unearned income, the rules are more straightforward. As a dependent with only earned income, you're only required to file if your earned income exceeds $14,600 for 2025. With just $175 in earned income, you're still not required to file even as a dependent. However, as others mentioned, you should still file to get back that $12 in withholding. Being claimed as a dependent doesn't affect your ability to get a refund of taxes that were withheld from your paycheck.

I used IRS Free File last year for a similar situation (one W-2 with minimal income). It was actually pretty straightforward and took maybe 20 minutes total. Definitely less hassle than I expected and completely free for federal filing.

I second this! IRS Free File is definitely the way to go for simple situations like yours. Since you only have one W-2 with such a small amount, it'll be one of the easiest returns possible to complete. Most of the commercial tax sites will also let you file for free with income that low, but Free File cuts out the middleman entirely. Plus you don't have to worry about any upselling or "audit protection" nonsense they try to push on you.

This is such valuable professional advice! I honestly hadn't thought about keeping copies of the return or setting up an IRS online account, but you're absolutely right that this stuff can be useful down the road in ways I'd never expect. The point about downloading a PDF before submitting is especially helpful - I definitely would have just hit submit and forgotten about saving a copy. And creating an IRS account now while everything is simple makes way more sense than trying to figure it out later when my taxes are more complicated. Thanks for the practical tips about record keeping too. Three years seems like a long time for such a small return, but I guess you never know when you might need that documentation. Better to have it and not need it than the other way around! I feel like I've gotten a complete education on handling simple tax returns from this thread. Going from confused about whether I even need to file to having a solid plan with IRS Free File, knowing exactly what records to keep, and understanding how to set myself up for future tax years. This community is amazing - thank you everyone for all the detailed help!