Here's a question almost nobody answers for you: do you have to file a tax return at all? If you earned very little (a part-time job, a summer gig), you might not be required to. But "not required" and "shouldn't" are two different things.

When you're required to file

Whether you must file mostly comes down to how much you made and how you made it. There's an income threshold each year. For 2026, a single person under 65 generally has to file if they earned more than $16,100; the threshold matches the and is higher if you're married or older. Earning above it means you're required to file. A few situations lower that bar or create their own rules. If you had self-employment income of $400 or more, for example, you have to file regardless.

  • You earned more than the year's from a job.
  • You had 1099 income ( or ) above a small amount, even a few hundred dollars.
  • You owe a special tax, like on side income.
  • Someone can claim you as a and your income passes the dependent's lower threshold.

Why you'd file even when you don't have to

If your employer taxes from your paychecks during the year, that money is sitting with the government. The only way to get your is to file a return and ask for it. Skip filing, and you leave your own money behind.

It adds up. A student who worked part-time and had a bit withheld from each check could have a few hundred dollars waiting.

Refundable credits can pay you

Some are "refundable," which means they can pay you even if you owed no tax to begin with. The biggest one for working people is the Earned Income Tax Credit, which can be worth thousands of dollars. You claim it by filing a return; there's no other way to get it.

Tip
Even with little or no income, filing creates an official record for that year. That record can help when you apply for financial aid, a loan, an apartment, or immigration paperwork down the road.

When in doubt, file. It's usually free, it's how you claim money you're owed, and a return on record protects you if a question ever comes up later.

If you're genuinely unsure whether you're required to file, free filing software will walk you through a few questions and tell you. And if the answer is yes, Filing Your Taxes for the First Time covers the whole process.