Do I need to submit a tax return if I have been working part-time this year?

Based on the information you've provided, here's what you need to know about filing requirements: If your only income is from the coffee shop job (W-2 wages) and you earned about $6,500 for the year, you'll likely need to file a tax return even as a dependent. For 2024 (filing in 2025), a dependent who earns more than $6,000 in wages generally needs to file. Even if you weren't required to file, you should probably still do it because you've had taxes withheld from your paychecks that you might get refunded. When your employer sends your W-2 in January, it will show exactly how much you earned and how much was withheld for taxes. Filing is pretty straightforward in your situation - you can use free filing options through the IRS website, and the process is designed to be simple for basic tax situations like yours.

When I was in almost your exact situation last year, I was totally overwhelmed with all the tax documents and wasn't sure what to claim or how to file correctly. I ended up using this online tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really simplified everything. You just upload your W-2 when you get it, answer a few basic questions, and it figures out if you need to file and walks you through the whole process. The best part for me was that it explained everything in normal language instead of confusing tax jargon. It confirmed I needed to file even though I made under $10k as a dependent, and helped me understand which deductions applied to my situation.

Just wanted to follow up - I decided to give taxr.ai a try after seeing this thread, and it was actually really helpful! I uploaded my daughter's W-2 and it immediately showed that she would get a small refund because of overwithholding, even though she only made about $5,700 last year. The explanation about how dependents' income is taxed was super clear, and it let me help her file without any confusion. Definitely easier than the nightmare I went through with TurboTax last year!

If you're having trouble figuring out whether you need to file, you can also call the IRS directly to get a clear answer specific to your situation. The problem is their phone lines are always jammed and you can waste HOURS just waiting on hold. I discovered this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that somehow gets you through to an actual IRS agent in minutes instead of hours. I was super skeptical at first, but you can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. I used it when I had a similar question about filing as a dependent with part-time income, and the IRS agent I spoke with gave me exact guidance for my situation. Saved me so much stress trying to interpret all the different filing requirements online.

I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After seeing this post, I had a dispute with the IRS about my daughter's dependent status and couldn't get through on the phone after trying for two days. Out of desperation, I tried Claimyr and was honestly shocked when I got a call back with an actual IRS agent on the line within about 20 minutes. The agent was able to confirm exactly what forms my daughter needed to file as a dependent with part-time income. Saved me from taking a day off work to visit the local IRS office!

From my experience last year, even if you technically don't HAVE to file because of the income threshold, you should probably file anyway. I made about $5,800 at my part-time job and got almost all of my federal withholding back as a refund - was around $400 if I remember right. The free filing options make it pretty easy!

One thing nobody mentioned - if you had ANY taxes withheld from your paychecks (which you probably did), you DEFINITELY want to file even if you're under the required threshold. Otherwise you're just giving free money to the government that should be coming back to you as a refund!

Maya, congratulations on your first job! You're asking all the right questions. Based on what you've shared, you'll very likely need to file a tax return since you'll probably exceed the $6,000 threshold for dependents by the end of the year. Here's what I'd recommend: Keep track of your total earnings from your paystubs, and when you get your W-2 in January, that will show your exact annual income and how much was withheld for taxes. Even if you somehow end up just under the filing requirement, you should still file to get back any taxes that were withheld from your paychecks. The good news is that as a dependent with straightforward W-2 income, your tax situation is pretty simple. The IRS Free File program will have several free options perfect for your situation. Start checking the IRS website (irs.gov) in late January for the free filing options - they usually open up around the end of January/early February. Don't stress about it too much - millions of people file their first tax return every year, and the process is designed to handle basic situations like yours pretty easily!