Federal Income Tax Filing Criteria
To ensure that anyone who may owe federal income tax pays the amount they owe, the Internal Revenue Service establishes criteria that, if met, require you to file a tax return. You may also want to file a tax return if you are able to claim refundable tax credits and your income is not high enough that you must file a return. Your eligibility for certain tax credits may be affected by your filing status.
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Income Limits for Individuals Younger than 65
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If your total income exceeds a certain amount based on your filing status, you must file a federal tax return. This amount changes each year because it is adjusted for inflation and is based on your filing status. The filing statuses are single, head of household, married filing jointly and married filing separately. If you are single but claim dependents, you may be eligible to file as a head of household. If you are married, you have the option to file a joint return with your spouse or to file two separate returns, whichever results in a smaller tax bill. For 2009, you must file federal income taxes if you are single and earn more than $9,350, head of household and make more than $12,000, married filing separately and make more than $3,650 or married filing jointly and make more than $18,700.
Income Limits for Individuals 65 and Older
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If you are older than 65, the minimum income required to file an income return is higher. For 2009, you must file federal income taxes if you are single and earn more than $10,500 and head of household and make more than $13,400. If you are married and file separate returns, the limits does not change. If you are married, file a joint return and both of you are older than 65, you are required to file a tax return if you make more than $20,900. If only one spouse is older than 65, the minimum is $19,800.
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Self-Employment Income
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If you are self-employed, the threshold for filing a federal tax return is significantly lower because self-employed people are responsible for paying Social Security and Medicare taxes. For 2009, if you make more than $400 you must file a federal income tax return to make sure that you pay the Social Security and Medicare taxes you incur.
Religious Income
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If you work for a religious organization that does not have to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, you must file a tax return if your income from that organization exceeds a minimum level. For 2009, the threshold was $108.28.
Tax Withholding
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If you are not required to file a tax return because your income does not exceed the threshold for your filing status, you may want to file a return if you had taxes withheld during the year to get a tax refund. You should also file a tax return if you are eligible for refundable tax credits like the first-time home buyer credit or the earned income tax credit.
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