How much money do you have to make to file taxes? What is the minimum income to file taxes?
A reader, Rob, recently asked about the new numbers for this year. Let’s take a look at the requirements for the minimum income to file taxes in 2011 (and due in 2012).
2011 Minimum Income Requirements
The IRS released the minimum income to file taxes in 2011. For the first time in a few years, there is an increase in the minimum income to file.
For the 2011 tax year, you will need to file taxes if your gross income meets the minimum income for your filing status and age:
| Filing Status | Minimum Gross Income (under 65) | Minimum Gross Income (65+) |
|---|
| Single | $9,500 | $10,950 |
| Head of Household | $12,200 | $13,650 |
| Married Filing Jointly | $19,000 | $20,150 (one spouse)
$21,300 (both spouses) |
| Married Filing Separately | $3,700 | $3,700 |
| Widow with Dependent Child | $15,300 | $16,450 |
This table does not apply to dependents. See When Do Kids Need to File Taxes? for minimum income to file taxes for children.
Social Security Income
Gross income doesn’t include social security benefits.
However, there is an exception to this rule if half of your social security benefits plus your other gross income is more than $25,000 ($32,000 if married filing jointly). Once that happens, you’ll need to file a 2011 tax return. Married filing separate also have different social security rules.
Other Income Sources
There are special rules for self employment earnings and church earnings. You must file taxes if your:
- Self employment net earnings are greater than $400.
- Church earnings are greater than $108.28 and are exempt from employer Social Security and Medicare.
More Tax Filing Requirements
Optional filing. Even if you are not required to file a tax return, you can choose to file one. You may want to file an optional tax return if you had any federal withholding or are entitled to tax credits, like the earned income tax credit, and want to get a refund.
Other filing requirements. In addition to the income requirements, there are other circumstances when you must file a tax return. One example is if you sold your home. For all the requirements, see Publication 17.
When to file. If you earn enough money to file a tax return, you must file your tax return by the tax deadline.
Prior year returns. For last years requirements you can see the minimum income to file taxes in 2010.
After you file. Once you file, you can see How Long Does it Take to Get Your Tax Refund Back?
2011 Tax Calculator
If you are under the minimum income to file taxes, and are unsure whether or not filing your taxes will benefit you, use our 2011 Tax Calculator to compute your tax liability and refund.
Tax Filing Online
Now that you know how much money you have to make to file taxes, you can go ahead and file your taxes online right now for free with TurboTax!
I always laugh a little when I see articles about paying your taxes in the US.
It just seems so difficult.
In Estonia (look it up on a map!) where I live it is a lot easier:
When the yearly tax paying period starts you need to log into your account at the government’s website. All the information is already pre-filled and calculated for you. You just need to click “next” a few times and make sure there are no obvious errors and if you should get something back – it will be wired to your bank account by the next day.
Dealing with taxes takes about 5 – 10 minutes a year.
So no one really bothers to write any articles it as well!
I can appreciate that, Roman. But keep in mind that we have more people in Pittsburgh, PA than in all of Estonia. But I would love to visit someday!
LUCKY! Man I wish it were like that over here….
That’s what we do in the U.S. we have to make things complicated so companies like H&R Block, CPAs and lawyers can make money out of it. Like what our politicians always say, “It’s not that simple”.
@ Roman: Wow, sounds so easy! How do they know how much self-employment income you have to prefill it?
Waitaminit. Do I understand this correctly?
If HALF your Social Security plus ALL your gross income from other sources = <$25,000, you don’t have to file a tax return? In other words, you wouldn’t pay any income taxes?
ALL gross income? Does that include capital gains taxes on drawdowns from a regular IRA or 403(b)?
That sounds too good to be true.
@ Funny about Money: Yep, you read it correctly. All the income includes retirement plan distributions, tax exempt interest and other exclusions from income.
Here’s more info from the IRS: Are Your Social Security Benefits Taxable?
I’ve been divorced for 3 years now. On my divorce papers it says that I can claim my daughter on my taxes until my ex wife gets a job. Then we switch each year on claiming our daughter. My ex has remarried and I pay child support. Well the 2008 tax year she worked. I’m not sure how much she made last year. My deal is if my ex does a joint return then that means her husband can use my daughter on their tax return? My ex lives in a really small town in Arkansas and I live in San Diego. Do I go by what just my ex made, or can she use what she made (which I’m pretty sure isn’t that much)? I just don’t want to be screwed on my taxes. Any help would be great.
My suggestion is to follow the divorce decree. Start by sending a certified mail letter to you ex wife asking her to prove her income (so you can make sure she has a job each year) and them include a signed agreement as to with year odd or even as to who gets to claim the child. IRS does provide a form that the other parent must sign IF you think there will be a problem. It is not necessary for this form but it clears up any questions as to which one will claim the child. You could always make a deal with her to claim your daughter each year and then share a portion of your return.
Great article. Hopefully you’ll update us soon on how your new business and rental properties are working out!!
@ Shelly: Thanks for the reminder! I just posted an update on the business. I’ll work on putting something together soon for the rentals.
So if I am single and filing as that then if my annual gross income is less than $9,350.00 then I don’t have to file taxes?
If you are single and earned less than that (but still earned something) you are probably due a hefty tax return due to the stimulus tax credits and should file. Turbotax has a free, easy to use version. Taking 30 minutes to file might get you $500 in return. Don’t skip it!
If I file ‘married filing jointly’ and my wife’s income was only $3400, do I have to include her W2 information?
Nigel,
If you file under married filing jointly, you will add both of your incomes together to see if you are over the filing threshold.
If you’re over the minimum, you’ll include both of your incomes.
My parenting plan states that each parent must send the other their federal tax papers every year. If I don’t work, but file jointly with my new spouse do I still have to send my ex our joint return? Is there a site I can find the answer written?
Hmmm, I really don’t know much about parenting plans.
Are you using the return to show each other the amount of income? Or proof of claiming a child?
My gross income 2010 was 55,000 and my husband 9,311. Should I put married filling jointly and don’t put his w-2 information then?
Hi Nancy,
Together your income is over the threshold, so you’ll include both of your incomes for married filing joint.
Where can I find the official IRS publication that says I don’t need to file 2010 taxes because I made less than $9,000?
Hi RJ!
All of the numbers are documented in publication 17: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch01.html
Have a newer marriage and trying to figure out how to file taxes for my business. Should we be filing as a partnership since she does the paperwork, billing, estimates, scheduling, and some of the labor? With the marriage also now have a larger family to care for, with my wife’s help there has been more income which is needed to care for larger family and for growing business. Would filing as a partnership help child support payments from going up? Would that make half the income wife’s?
The business is an LLC and we are based in Wisconsin if that matters also.
Hi
My husband refuses to have taxes taken out and we end up with tax debt for years being married. He always filed jointly without me being there and pays minimum taxes for IRS payment plan. I don’t want to be responsible for anymore tax debt what can i do?
I am only a permanent resident for 5 years and i don’t want debt to be a problem filing for citizenship. right now he said we have about 9000$(paying 200 a month on it) from 2007 and 3-6000) more from 2008 coming to be add on and i fear more from 2009 and 2010 i don’t think he filed 2010 yet.
I don’t earn anything since i don’t work. i never filed taxes in USA and do i have to file federal and state taxes if i want to file separate from my husband?
Hello. I made about 15 grand in 2010 most of it was from my own business and a small portion of it was another job that they didnt take taxes out of. do i have to make more to file?
Thanks
Joshua,
Yes, you are over the minimum income to file taxes for self employed, so you’ll need to file a tax return for 2010.
Ok so if I make under 3,000 dollars do I still need to file taxes or not and because my step mother claimed me dependent even though I’m 19 live on my own and barely worked.
Haleym,
If your stepmother claimed you, you’ll need to review these requirements: When Do Kids Need to File Taxes?
I’m sure this is a stupid question- sorry!
My husband and his ex have 2 children.
She has never had a job, but for the past few years has been remarried, so always filed jointly with her husband. So she always claimed one of the children, and my husband claimed the other.
Last year she divorced her husband, and still has no job. (Lives off the government and child support)
Since she has no earned income, and won’t even be filing taxes, shouldn’t my husband be able to claim both children now? And she is no longer eligible to receive any of the earned income credit for them?
We’re just trying to figure this out.
Thanks
I have a small seasonal business operating thru summer hours only. I have 24 teens who put in around 12 hours a month. Is it ok to pay them in cash without reporting it or filling out paperwork on them. Thank you.
Quoting: “The IRS has not yet released the minimum income to file taxes in 2011. Bookmark this page, and we’ll update it as soon as the numbers are released.”
–Have the numbers been released yet?
Hi Rob,
Yes, the IRS recently published the increases. I have updated the table above with the minimum income to file for 2011.
I have court papers that say i get to claim my son on odd years,and my ex gets the even years. But she claimed him on my year. i haven’t filed yet, im still waiting on W-2′s. i plan on claiming him anyways because it is my year. what kind of problems am i looking at?
THIS HAPPENED TO ME. I WAS AUDITED THEN ALL I HAD TO DO IS PROVIDE THE COURT DOCUMENTS AND A COPY OF YOUR LAST 2 RETURNS SHOWING WHICH YEAR I FILED WITH THE CHILD AND THE YEAR I DID NOT.
im 20. i worked part time this year totalling up to about 12 thousand dollars. I never filed before. is this the first year i need to file?
Yolanda,
Assuming you are single, yes, you’ll need to file this year.
For those of you asking about children and deductions, etc. You have to stick to the divorce degree unless both of you in writing determine you want to do something else. Never married, or divorces, but have a child that I claim.
What I did, I agreed to pay half of the difference between my two refunds to her if I claim my son. So if my refund was $2k without him, and $6k with him, she gets and extra $2k check from me, and I get an extra $2k from uncle sam. No reason to not both benefit.
As for minimums, I just hope I never have to worry about hitting a minimum (or praying I don’t hit it) as that means I am getting so little income I will be really poor. (Note: I am in my late 30′s now).
My husband made 33,347.00 & I only worked for 3 months from sept. to dec. making 3,535.00. I also had 5,200.00 in gambling winnings & received 2 W2G’s. Does he have to report my income? Should we file married filing separately? I’m not quite sure how we should do this. Can he just report my winnings & not my job income? I’m so confused!
Amy,
It sounds like you made over $42k between the two of you, so you will need to file. You will both need to report all of your income (from both of your jobs and the gambling winnings).
As far as married filing separate, it’s rare that a couple will owe less tax filing separate rather than jointly. In order to figure out which way is better, you’d have to run it both ways.