My son is 15, he worked over the summer for a friend's business.
I claimed him when i did my taxes, can he file for himself, he made less than $4000.00?
2007-04-12 16:55:46 · 13 answers · asked by uptight_carpet 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Taxes ➔ United States
If your son's earned income is less than $5150, then he can file his own tax return or it can be added to your income.
You correctly claimed him as a dependent on your return.
On his return he will check that he is a dependent on another persons return.
He won't get to claim his personal exemption...you claimed his exemption.
He should, however, get all of his withholding refunded to him.
2007-04-12 17:30:42 · answer #1 · answered by T H 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes he can file a return for himself.
There are several potential problems I can think of:
1. Did you provide more than half of his support?
2. He won't be able to claim an exemption for himself because you claimed him as a dependent
3. If he was a contract laborer he will owe social security self-employment taxes on his net profit of 15.3%
4. Did he receive a 1099 or W-2? If so, the IRS will know about his income. If your friend deducted him on his return and did not give him a 1099 or W-2, your son could be caught in an IRS audit or State workers compensation audit
Good luck!
2007-04-13 00:06:15 · answer #2 · answered by RAG 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He can, and should if anything was withheld for federal income tax, since he'll get it refunded to him. He must check the box on his tax form saying he can be claimed as a dependent. If anything was withheld and he doesn't have to file and doesn't file, he won't get his money back. If nothing was withheld, there would be no reason for him to file.
This assumes his income was on a W-2. If it was self-employment or 1099-misc, then he MUST file and will owe self-employment taxes.
Amy F is wrong about your needing to claim his income on your return if he doesn't file. That's a special provision for certain levels of INVESTMENT income, and that doesn't apply here. TH is also wrong on this.
And Brenda O and Jesse S are wrong about his being required to file - since his income was under the $5150 limit for dependents, he doesn't have to as long as it wasn't classified as self-employment.
And silly girl is....well....a silly girl to give answers when she doesn't know the correct answer.
Wrong answers are a real problem here in the tax section - it is unfortunately very common for people who don't know what they're talking about to give an answer off the top of their head anyway, and steer people wrong. Your question drew a large number of wrong answers - and it's a very easy question, one that anyone with even a basic knowledge of tax rules would be able to answer accurately.
2007-04-13 09:32:30 · answer #3 · answered by Judy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Does he have any income from interest? Here is the requirement from IRS Publication 17 for dependent (I'm assuming that he isn't married nor blind)
You must file a return if any of the following apply. Individuals—
• Your unearned income was more than $850.
• Your earned income was more than $5,150.
• Your gross income was more than the larger of:
• $850, or
• Your earned income (up to $4,850) plus $300.
If he doesn't have other sources of income beside wages, chances are he doesn't have to file. However filing could might get some of his tax withholding back.
For more detailed explaination, consult IRS Publication 17 Page 8. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p17.pdf
Best wishes.
2007-04-13 05:52:02 · answer #4 · answered by JQT 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He has to file, he had income. Chances are, even though he's a dependent, he will get some money back. You might as well teach him now how to pay taxes. Think of this as a learning lesson for him. Offer to pay this time if he owes money (since you get many thousands more than he could ever owe for claiming him as a dependent.) Use form 1040EZ, it's very simple and takes less than 10 minutes.
This is your chance to teach him that paying taxes is a civic responsibility. That the schools he and/or his friends attend are paid for in part by those taxes. That the roads he hopes to drive on in his own car next year are paid for by his taxes. That the street lights that he sits under on warm summer nights, talking to friends, are paid for by taxes. You have a great chance here to teach him how he helps his community and nation by paying his taxes.
2007-04-13 00:01:22 · answer #5 · answered by Jessi S 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
if he had earned income and received a w-2 or 1099 form, he MUST by law file an income tax return. if he received either a w-2 or 1099 and does not file he will get into trouble as a copy of those forms are sent to the IRS by his employer. he will not be able to take a personal exemption for himself, but if he had withholding, he should get most of it back. make sure he checks the box that he was claimed as a dependent on someone else's return. you can download the 1040EZ form from www.irs.gov and also download the instructions.
2007-04-13 00:34:47 · answer #6 · answered by Romans 1:22 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
He can file his own taxes but won't be able to claim an exemption for himself because you've done that already.
2007-04-13 01:05:11 · answer #7 · answered by msshaden 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, he claims the standard deduction for a single person with no personal exemption. Because he is under 18, if he doesn't file, you have to claim his income on your return.
2007-04-13 03:00:18 · answer #8 · answered by Amy F 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
He has to file if he had withholding so he can get it back.
Use Form 1040EZ. The instructions will tell you how to file if some else claims his exemption.
2007-04-13 00:09:11 · answer #9 · answered by Mark S 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes, it will ask on the 1040 if he was claimed on someone else taxes, you go from there
2007-04-13 00:00:13 · answer #10 · answered by skcs11 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋