No Minimum Required

• You will never find an IRS rule prohibiting you from filing a tax return. As long as you only file one per year and fill it out completely and accurately, the IRS will gladly accept your return. There is no minimum amount you need to earn to file. In fact, it is perfectly acceptable to file a tax return with no income. Although it's unlikely you can obtain a tax refund without earning income or paying tax during the year, you can at least have an official record of your income, which may be helpful for other things.
  
  

Filing Rules

• There is a minimum amount of income you can earn tax-free without filing a return, but if you earn even one dollar over this minimum, you must file a return. The IRS requires all taxpayers who are not a dependent to file a return when their annual taxable earnings exceed the combination of their standard deduction plus one exemption. The only exception is for married filers who can claim two exemptions for determining whether they need to file. This minimum amount is not the same for everyone since the standard deduction is different for the various filing statuses.
  
  

IRS Dependent Rules

• If you are a dependent to another taxpayer, the minimum income thresholds that apply to you are different, and unfortunately, are much lower. This is because you cannot claim a personal exemption since another taxpayer already does. In addition, you can only claim a maximum standard deduction that a single filer is eligible for. The single standard deduction also serves as your filing threshold, meaning that you must file a return when the income you earn from work or in a business exceeds that amount. However, if you have investment income in excess of $950, then you have an obligation to file a tax return, regardless of your employment income.
  
  

Tax-Exempt Income

• For both dependents and other taxpayers, you should never include your tax-exempt income in the calculation for determining whether you need to file. Since tax-exempt income never shows up on a return, it will not affect whether you have to file. Common examples of tax-exempt income include municipal bond interest and most Social Security payments.