Federal Filing Requirements (2024)¶
Quick Reference¶
Income Thresholds for Filing (2024)¶
Filing required if gross income meets or exceeds:
Single: - Under 65: $14,600 - 65 or older: $16,550
Married Filing Jointly: - Both under 65: $29,200 - One spouse 65 or older: $30,750 - Both 65 or older: $32,300
Married Filing Separately: - Any age: $5 (if living with spouse at any time during year)
Head of Household: - Under 65: $21,900 - 65 or older: $23,850
Qualifying Surviving Spouse: - Under 65: $29,200 - 65 or older: $30,750
Self-Employment Income¶
Must file if: - Net self-employment earnings of $400 or more (any filing status, any age)
Special Situations Requiring Filing¶
Must file even if income below threshold if: - Owe alternative minimum tax (AMT) - Owe household employment taxes (nanny tax) - Owe additional tax on retirement plan (including IRA) distributions - Owe recapture taxes (e.g., education credits, first-time homebuyer credit) - Have net earnings from self-employment of $400 or more - Received HSA, Archer MSA, or Medicare Advantage MSA distributions - Owe Additional Medicare Tax or Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) - Received distributions from health savings account - Owe taxes on tip income not reported to employer - Had wages of $108.28 or more from church or qualified church-controlled organization exempt from employer Social Security and Medicare taxes
Dependent Filing Requirements¶
Single Dependent:
Must file if: - Unearned income over $1,300, OR - Earned income over $14,600, OR - Gross income over the larger of: - $1,300, OR - Earned income (up to $14,150) plus $450
Married Dependent: - Generally same as single, but if MFJ and both are dependents, threshold is $5 combined if either has unearned income
Filing Even When Not Required¶
Should file to claim refund if: - Federal income tax was withheld - Made estimated tax payments - Eligible for refundable credits: - Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) - Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) - American Opportunity Credit (partially refundable) - Premium Tax Credit
Details¶
Gross Income Definition¶
Gross income includes all income received in the form of money, goods, property, and services that is not exempt from tax.
Includes: - Wages, salaries, tips - Self-employment income - Interest and dividends - Capital gains - Alimony (for divorces finalized before 2019) - Rental and royalty income - Unemployment compensation - Social Security benefits (taxable portion) - Retirement distributions (taxable portion) - Business and farm income
Does NOT Include: - Tax-exempt interest (e.g., municipal bonds) - Child support - Gifts and inheritances - Life insurance proceeds (generally) - Qualified scholarships - Return of capital - Amounts received under workers' compensation - Welfare benefits
Age Determination¶
Age is determined as of last day of tax year (December 31).
Special rule: Taxpayer is considered age 65 on day before 65th birthday.
Example: Born January 1, 1960, considered age 65 on December 31, 2024.
Self-Employment Income Filing Requirement¶
Net self-employment earnings of $400 or more require filing, regardless of gross income level.
Purpose: To pay self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes).
Self-Employment Tax: - 15.3% on net earnings up to Social Security wage base ($168,600 for 2024) - 2.9% Medicare tax on all net earnings over wage base - Additional 0.9% Medicare tax on earnings over $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (MFJ)
Net Earnings Calculation: - Gross self-employment income - Minus: Ordinary and necessary business expenses - Multiply by 92.35% (to account for employer-equivalent portion)
Household Employment Taxes (Nanny Tax)¶
If paid household employee (nanny, housekeeper, etc.) cash wages of $2,700 or more (2024), or withheld federal income tax:
Must file: - Schedule H (Household Employment Taxes) with Form 1040 - Pay Social Security and Medicare taxes (employer portion) - Possibly pay federal unemployment tax (FUTA)
Exception: Household employees under age 18 and full-time students exempt from Social Security/Medicare taxes.
Health Savings Account (HSA) Distributions¶
Received HSA distributions during year: must file Form 8889.
Qualified Distributions: Tax-free if used for qualified medical expenses
Non-Qualified Distributions: - Included in gross income - Subject to 20% penalty (exceptions for age 65+, death, disability)
Premium Tax Credit Reconciliation¶
Received advance premium tax credit (APTC) for health insurance marketplace: must file to reconcile.
Form 8962 reconciles advance credit with actual credit based on actual income.
Result: - May owe repayment if advance too large (subject to caps) - May receive additional credit if advance too small
Nonresident Aliens and Dual-Status Aliens¶
Different filing requirements apply.
Nonresident Alien: - Generally must file if engaged in trade or business in US, or - Have US-source income on which tax liability was not satisfied by withholding
Dual-Status Alien: - Treated as both resident and nonresident during same tax year - Must file Form 1040 with statement showing income for each period
Exceptions: Treaty provisions may modify requirements.
Children and Dependents¶
Parents may be able to elect to include child's income on their return (Form 8814) if: - Child under age 19 (or under 24 if full-time student) - Child's only income is interest and dividends (and capital gain distributions) - Total income less than $12,500 (2024)
Effect: Child doesn't have to file, but parent may pay more tax (loses child's lower brackets).
Estimated Tax Payments¶
Not a filing requirement per se, but related:
Must make estimated tax payments if: - Expect to owe $1,000 or more when filing return, AND - Withholding and credits will be less than the smaller of: - 90% of current year tax, OR - 100% of prior year tax (110% if AGI over $150,000)
Form 1040-ES used to calculate and pay quarterly estimates.
Due dates: April 15, June 15, September 15, January 15 (of following year)
Deceased Taxpayers¶
Personal representative (executor, administrator) must file final return for deceased taxpayer if filing requirements met.
Due date: Same as if taxpayer still alive (generally April 15 of following year).
Form 1040 marked "Deceased" with name and date of death.
If surviving spouse and filing jointly: surviving spouse signs return.
Married Couples Living Apart¶
If married but lived apart from spouse entire last 6 months of year:
- May qualify for Head of Household status (if other requirements met)
- Considered "unmarried" for this purpose
Otherwise, must file as Married Filing Jointly or Married Filing Separately.
Cannot file as Single if legally married (unless legally separated under decree).
Individuals with No Income¶
If gross income below filing threshold and no special situations apply: not required to file.
However, should consider filing if: - Eligible for refundable credits (EITC, ACTC, etc.) - Had tax withheld - Made estimated payments - Want to establish basis for Social Security credits (need to file to get credit for self-employment)
Citations¶
Internal Revenue Code: - IRC § 1 - Tax Imposed - IRC § 6012 - Persons Required to Make Returns of Income - IRC § 6017 - Self-Employment Tax Returns - IRC § 1401 - Rate of Tax (self-employment tax) - IRC § 3510 - Coordination of Collection of Domestic Service Employment Taxes with Collection of Income Taxes - IRC § 36B - Refundable Credit for Coverage Under a Qualified Health Plan (Premium Tax Credit)
IRS Revenue Procedures: - Rev. Proc. 2023-34 (November 2023) - 2024 inflation adjustments
IRS Publications: - Publication 17 - Your Federal Income Tax (For Individuals) - Publication 501 - Dependents, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information - Publication 519 - US Tax Guide for Aliens - Publication 926 - Household Employer's Tax Guide
IRS Forms: - Form 1040 and Instructions - US Individual Income Tax Return - Form 1040-ES - Estimated Tax for Individuals - Schedule H - Household Employment Taxes - Schedule SE - Self-Employment Tax - Form 8814 - Parents' Election to Report Child's Interest and Dividends - Form 8889 - Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) - Form 8962 - Premium Tax Credit