Form 8615 - Must I File This Form if My Child is Filing Returns to Reclaim Taxes?
I'm confused about the Form 8615 filing requirements and hoping someone can clarify this for me. I've read through the instructions but the wording is tripping me up, especially on condition #2. Here's our situation - my daughter had around $3,200 in unearned income (interest and some taxable scholarship money). She's not technically required to file taxes because her earned income is under $14,600, her unearned income (excluding scholarships) is under $1,300, and her gross income doesn't hit the filing threshold. However, she wants to file anyway to get back the taxes that were withheld from her summer job. Looking at the Form 8615 requirements: 1. Unearned income more than $2,600? Yes, she meets this with the interest and taxable scholarships. 2. Required to file a return? No, she's not required but is choosing to file. 3. Age/student status? Yes, she's 20, full-time college student, and doesn't earn enough to cover half her support. 4. Parent alive? Yes, both of us are. 5. Not filing jointly? Correct, she's single. Since she's not "required" to file (condition #2), but is filing voluntarily, does she still need to submit Form 8615 with her return? This kiddie tax form stuff is making my head spin!
18 comments
Join the conversation
Isaiah Sanders
The key to your question is understanding what "required to file" really means in IRS terms. When they say "required to file a tax return" in condition #2, they're referring to whether the child meets the basic filing requirements based on their income level. If your daughter isn't required to file based on her income levels (which you've confirmed), then Form 8615 is not required - even if she voluntarily files to get her withholding back. The form is only needed when ALL conditions are met, and if #2 isn't met, then Form 8615 isn't necessary. This is actually a common situation. Many students who aren't required to file still do so to recover withheld taxes. Since she's filing voluntarily rather than being required to file, Form 8615 can be skipped. Your understanding is correct - if she's not required to file in the first place, then Form 8615 isn't needed even though she's submitting a return.
0 coins
Fidel Carson
•Thank you so much! I thought that's what it meant, but the IRS instructions can be so confusing sometimes. Just to double-check, the taxable scholarship money counts toward unearned income for the $2,600 threshold in condition #1, but doesn't count when determining if she's required to file under condition #2, right? That's where I was getting confused.
0 coins
Isaiah Sanders
•That's exactly right. For the $2,600 unearned income threshold in condition #1, taxable scholarships do count as unearned income. But when determining whether someone is required to file a return (condition #2), there's a different set of rules for which types of income count toward which thresholds. For filing requirement purposes, taxable scholarships are considered earned income, which is why she falls below the filing requirement threshold even with that scholarship income. It's a classic example of how the same type of income can be classified differently depending on which tax rule you're applying.
0 coins
Xan Dae
After struggling with this exact issue for my son's taxes last year, I found an amazing service that saved me tons of stress. I used https://taxr.ai to upload the tax form instructions and my specific situation, and it gave me a clear answer in seconds. I was confused about Form 8615 requirements since my son had scholarship money and some dividend income, but wasn't required to file. The tool analyzed the exact IRS language and my scenario, then explained in simple terms why Form 8615 wasn't needed in my case. It can analyze any tax document or question - saved me from paying for a professional consultation just to answer this one question!
0 coins
Fiona Gallagher
•How accurate is this compared to getting advice from an actual tax professional? My daughter has a similar situation with investment income her grandparents set up, plus a partial scholarship. I've gotten conflicting advice about whether Form 8615 applies.
0 coins
Thais Soares
•Does it work for other tax forms too? I'm trying to figure out if my kid needs to file Form 8814 instead since he has some investment income but I was thinking about the election to report on my return instead of his.
0 coins
Xan Dae
•The accuracy is excellent - it uses the exact IRS guidelines and applies them to your specific situation. I actually compared its answer to what my accountant told me later, and they matched perfectly. The difference was I got the answer immediately without waiting for an appointment. It works for any tax form or question - not just Form 8615. I've used it for questions about dependent status, education credits, and Form 8814 too. For your question about reporting on your return, it would definitely help clarify if that's better in your situation. It analyzes the Parent's Election to Report Child's Interest and Dividends rules too.
0 coins
Thais Soares
I used https://taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and wow - total game changer! I uploaded screenshots of my son's 1099-INT forms and the scholarship statement, plus asked about Form 8615 requirements. It immediately clarified that since he wasn't required to file (even though we were filing voluntarily for a refund), Form 8615 wasn't needed. It even explained how the taxable portion of scholarships is treated differently for different filing requirements. I was about to pay my accountant $75 just to answer this question! The explanation was super clear and actually helped me understand the rules better than my previous accountant did. Definitely bookmarking this for next tax season.
0 coins
Nalani Liu
If you're still confused about Form 8615 or any other tax issues, you might want to call the IRS directly to get clarification. I know that sounds painful (because it usually is), but I recently discovered a service called Claimyr that got me through to an IRS agent in 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. I was dealing with a complicated kiddie tax situation with my twins (one had investment income, one had scholarships) and needed official guidance. Used https://claimyr.com and it worked exactly as promised - you can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with confirmed that Form 8615 is not required if your child isn't required to file, even if they're filing voluntarily to get a refund. Saved me from potentially making a mistake on their returns.
0 coins
Axel Bourke
•How does this actually work? I've literally tried calling the IRS 8 times this month about a similar issue and always got the "call volume too high" message. Does it really get you through or is this just another scam?
0 coins
Aidan Percy
•Sounds too good to be true. I've been trying for weeks to get through to someone about my daughter's return with this exact form issue. The IRS helpline is basically useless this time of year. What's the catch? Do they charge some ridiculous fee?
0 coins
Nalani Liu
•It works by using automated technology to handle the calling and waiting process for you. Instead of you personally waiting on hold, their system does it and then calls you once an agent is on the line. I was skeptical too, but after trying to get through for 3 days on my own, I was desperate. There is a fee for the service, but considering I was taking time off work to sit on hold (and still not getting through), it was worth it to me. The peace of mind from getting an official answer directly from the IRS about my specific Form 8615 situation was worth every penny. No affiliation - just sharing what worked for me after major frustration.
0 coins
Aidan Percy
I owe everyone here an apology - especially to the person who mentioned Claimyr. I was super skeptical and kind of rude about it in my comment. But I was desperate about my daughter's tax situation with her scholarship income and Form 8615, so I tried it anyway. Long story short: IT ACTUALLY WORKED. After weeks of trying to call the IRS myself and never getting through, I had an IRS agent on the phone within 17 minutes. He confirmed that since my daughter isn't required to file (even though she's filing for a refund), Form 8615 isn't needed. The agent also explained why the taxable scholarship counts as unearned income for the $2,600 threshold but is treated differently when determining filing requirements. Honestly wish I'd done this sooner instead of stressing for weeks.
0 coins
Fernanda Marquez
A quick tip about scholarships and Form 8615 that might help others. Remember that only the TAXABLE portion of scholarships counts toward the $2,600 unearned income threshold. If your child's scholarship money went directly to qualified education expenses (tuition, required fees, books), that portion isn't taxable and doesn't count toward the $2,600. Only amounts used for room, board, or other non-qualified expenses are taxable and count as unearned income for Form 8615 purposes. This distinction helped us avoid having to file Form 8615 for our daughter last year, even though her total scholarship was substantial.
0 coins
Norman Fraser
•Wait, I thought scholarships used for room and board counted as earned income, not unearned? This is why tax stuff makes my head explode. Can anyone clarify this? I might have filed wrong last year.
0 coins
Fernanda Marquez
•That's a common confusion. For general tax purposes, taxable scholarships (amounts used for room, board, etc.) are considered earned income. However, specifically for the Form 8615 "kiddie tax" rules, these same taxable scholarships are counted as unearned income when determining if the child meets the $2,600 threshold. It's frustrating that the same money is classified differently depending on which tax rule you're looking at. For filing requirement purposes, taxable scholarships are earned income, but for kiddie tax purposes, they're unearned income. This dual classification is exactly why so many people get confused about Form 8615.
0 coins
Kendrick Webb
Has anyone used TurboTax to handle this Form 8615 situation? My daughter has about $3,400 in taxable scholarship money and $700 in interest from her savings account. She worked part-time but made under $10k. We're trying to figure out if the software handles this correctly?
0 coins
Hattie Carson
•I used TurboTax for my son's return with almost the exact same situation. The software asked if he was required to file (not if he wanted to file, but if he was required). I answered no, and it correctly didn't include Form 8615. Just make sure you answer the "required to file" question accurately based on the thresholds, not based on whether you're actually filing. TurboTax also correctly included the taxable scholarship as income but didn't trigger the kiddie tax form since he wasn't required to file.
0 coins