Most college students must file taxes if they earned income
Whether you file depends on how much you earned and what kind of income it was. The IRS sets a threshold each year—if your income falls below it, you are not required to file. But if you earned money from a job, internship, or self-employment, you likely need to file even if you are under that threshold, because you may be owed a refund of taxes already withheld from your paychecks.
The rules are different depending on whether you are claimed as a dependent on your parents' tax return. Most full-time college students are, and that changes the income threshold. If you are a dependent, you must file if you had more than $13,850 in earned income (wages from a job) in 2023, or more than $2,500 in unearned income (interest, dividends, or scholarships used for non-education expenses). If you are not a dependent, the threshold is higher: $13,850 in earned income.
Even if you do not have to file, you should consider it. If your employer withheld taxes from your paychecks and you earned less than the threshold, filing gets you a refund. Many students also miss out on the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is money the government gives back to low-income workers—you only get it if you file.
Key Takeaways
- If you are claimed as a dependent and earned more than $13,850 from a job in 2023, you must file a federal tax return.
- If your employer withheld taxes from your paychecks, you should file even if you are not required to, because you may get a refund.
- Unearned income like interest, dividends, or scholarships used for room and board has a lower threshold ($2,500 for dependents) and triggers a filing requirement faster.
- Self-employment income of $400 or more requires you to file, regardless of whether you are a dependent.
- Filing as a student may also make you may be able to access for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which returns money to low-income workers.
When you are claimed as a dependent versus independent
Your filing requirement depends partly on whether your parents claim you as a dependent on their return. Most full-time college students are dependents, even if they live away from home and pay some of their own expenses. Your parents can claim you as a dependent if you are under 24, a full-time student for at least five months of the year, and they provide more than half your financial support.
If you are a dependent, the income thresholds are lower. If you are not a dependent—because you pay for more than half your own support, or you are over 24, or your parents choose not to claim you—your thresholds are higher. You can check your status by asking your parents whether they plan to claim you, or by looking at last year's return if they filed one that included you.
The distinction matters because it changes whether you have to file. A dependent with $12,000 in wages from a summer job does not have to file. An independent with the same income does not have to file either. But a dependent with $14,000 in wages must file, while an independent with $14,000 still does not have to file (the threshold for non-dependents is higher).
Income thresholds for the 2023 tax year
The IRS sets filing thresholds each year. For the 2023 tax year (the return you file in 2024), the thresholds are:
| Your Status | Earned Income Threshold | Unearned Income Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Dependent, under 65 | $13,850 | $2,500 |
| Non-dependent, under 65 | $13,850 | $13,850 |
| Self-employed (any status) | $400 | N/A |
Earned income is money you made from working—wages, tips, or self-employment income. Unearned income is interest from a savings account, dividends from investments, or scholarships and grants that you used for room, board, or other non-education expenses. Scholarships used only for tuition and required fees do not count as income.
These thresholds change each year, so check the IRS website or your school's tax information page before you file. Your school often publishes a guide for student tax filers with the current year's numbers.
When you must file even if you earned less than the threshold
You must file if you owe self-employment tax, even if your income is below the threshold. Self-employment income includes money from freelance work, gig economy jobs (like driving for a rideshare service), or running a small business. If you earned $400 or more in self-employment income, you must file, period. This is true regardless of whether you are a dependent.
You should also file if your employer withheld federal income tax from your paychecks. When you fill out a W-4 form at a job, you tell your employer how much tax to withhold. If you claimed too many exemptions or did not fill out the form correctly, your employer may have withheld more tax than you owe. Filing gets you a refund of that overpayment. Many students work part-time and have taxes withheld, then do not owe anything when they file—they just get the money back.
You may also want to file to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) if you earned less than about $21,000 and are not claimed as a dependent. This credit returns money to low-income workers and is one of the largest tax benefits available. You only receive it if you file.
Scholarships, grants, and taxable income
Not all money you receive for school counts as taxable income. Scholarships and grants used for tuition, fees, books, and required equipment are not taxable. But scholarships and grants used for room, board, travel, or other living expenses are taxable income and count toward your filing threshold.
This distinction matters because a large scholarship might look like income but not be taxable. If you received a $10,000 scholarship and used all of it for tuition and fees, none of it counts as income for tax purposes. If you used $5,000 for tuition and $5,000 for rent, only the $5,000 for rent is taxable income.
Your school will send you a Form 1098-T (for education credits) or a 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC (if the scholarship is reported as income) by January 31. Read these forms carefully to understand what your school reported to the IRS. If you are unsure whether part of your scholarship is taxable, ask your school's financial aid office—they can tell you how they reported it.
How to file as a student
You can file online using free software if your income is below a certain threshold. The IRS Free File program lets you use brand-name tax software at no cost if your income was less than about $79,000 in 2023. Most students may have access to. You can also file by mail using a paper form, though it takes longer.
You will need your Social Security number, a copy of your W-2 forms (if you worked), any 1099 forms your school or employers sent you, and records of any deductions or credits you are claiming. If you are filing as a dependent, you will also need your parents' information because you must report it on your return.
The important date to file is April 15, 2024, for the 2023 tax year. If you cannot file by then, you can request an extension, but extensions only delay filing—they do not delay payment if you owe taxes. If you expect a refund, there is no penalty for filing late, so file whenever you have your documents ready.
What happens if you do not file when you should
If you owe taxes and do not file, the IRS will charge you penalties and interest. The failure-to-file penalty is usually 5 percent of the unpaid tax for each month you are late, up to 25 percent total. Interest accrues on top of that. If you expect a refund, there is no penalty for filing late, but you lose the refund if you do not file within three years.
If you are a dependent and do not file when required, your parents may also face penalties on their return because they claimed you as a dependent. It is easier to file yourself than to deal with the consequences later.
If you are unsure whether you have to file, file anyway. Filing when you are not required does not hurt you—it just means you might get a refund. Not filing when you are required can cost you money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to file if I only worked a summer job and made $8,000?
If you are a dependent and your employer withheld taxes from your paychecks, you should file to get a refund, even though you are not required to. If no taxes were withheld, you do not have to file, but filing costs nothing and takes an hour, so most students do it anyway to be safe.
What if I received a scholarship for $15,000 but only used $5,000 for tuition?
Only the portion used for non-education expenses (room, board, travel) counts as taxable income. Ask your school's financial aid office how they reported the scholarship to the IRS. They can tell you exactly what amount they reported as taxable income, and that is what you report on your return.
Can I file taxes if my parents claim me as a dependent?
Yes. Being a dependent does not stop you from filing your own return. You file your own return reporting your income, and your parents file theirs claiming you as a dependent. Both returns can be filed at the same time.
What if I worked for myself or did gig work like DoorDash?
Self-employment income of $400 or more requires you to file, regardless of whether you are a dependent. You will owe self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare tax) in addition to income tax. Keep records of your income and expenses, because you can deduct business expenses to lower your taxable income.
Where do I find the current year's filing thresholds?
The IRS publishes current thresholds on irs.gov each year, usually in January. Your school's financial aid or tax information page also lists them. The thresholds change slightly each year for inflation, so always check the current year before you file.