Any year you have minimal or no income, you may be able to skip filing your tax return and the related paperwork. Before you decide to skip your return this year, consider whether it might be worthwhile to file.
Key Takeaways
- It's perfectly legal to file a tax return even if your income falls below the IRS minimum requirement to file.
- If you qualify for certain tax credits but owe no tax, you might be able to claim the excess tax credit as a refund when you file your return.
- Filing a tax return typically starts the clock running for the amount of time the IRS can audit your return for a given year. If you don't file, the IRS can come back and perform an audit for that year.
You may have heard about a possible change to the Child Tax Credit, but don’t worry. TurboTax has you covered. We are up to date with the latest tax laws so you can file your taxes with confidence and accurately claim the Child Tax Credit, if you are eligible. There is no need to delay. File now to get your max refund as soon as possible.
If lawmakers expand the Child Tax Credit, the IRS has stated that they will automatically adjust your return and notify you of the update, including any additional refund. No extra steps are required on your part.
Any year you have minimal or no income, you may be able to skip filing your tax return and the related paperwork. However, it's perfectly legal to file a tax return showing zero income, and this might be a good idea for a number of reasons.
Income requirements
Even if you earned income last year, if it falls below the IRS minimum you don't have to file a tax return. The minimum varies according to your age and filing status—whether you are:
- single,
- head of household,
- filing jointly with your spouse or
- you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else's taxes.
The IRS also adjusts the minimum amount of earned income from year to year for inflation. Individuals who fall below the minimum may still have to file a tax return under certain circ*mstances; for instance, if you had $400 in self-employment earnings, you'll have to file and pay self-employment tax.
If you have no income, however, you aren't obligated to file.
Credits may earn you a tax refund
The IRS offers a number of tax credits that you can take directly off your taxes rather than your income like a deduction. If the credit is more than you owe in taxes, in some cases, you can claim the excess credit as a refund.
If you qualify for tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, you can receive a refund even if your tax is $0. To claim the credits, you have to file your 1040 and other tax forms.
For your 2021 tax return only, the Child Tax Credit is expanded by the American Rescue Plan raising the per-child credit to $3,600 or $3,000 depending on the age of your child. The credit is also fully refundable for 2021. To get money into the hands of families faster, the IRS will be sending out advance payments of the 2021 Child Tax Credit beginning in July of 2021.For updates and more information, please visit our2021 Child Tax Creditblog post.
TurboTax Tip: If you qualify for tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Child Tax Credit, you can receive a refund even if your tax is $0. To claim the credits, you have to file your 1040 and other tax forms.
File now, deduct later
The IRS limits how much you can claim with various deductions and credits. For example, you can't claim a home office deduction so large that it would put your business into the red. Instead, you claim zero business income for the year, and carry any leftover deduction into the next year.
If you have deductions or credits carrying over,
- you can't claim them if you have no income, but
- you need to file your taxes to claim them in a future year when you do have income.
Protect yourself from future audits
The IRS operates under a statute of limitations when it comes to auditing old tax returns.
If you've reported your information accurately, in most cases they can only go back three years. However, the clock only starts for a given year when you actually file your tax return.
- If you don't file, the IRS can always come back and perform an audit.
- For this reason, the IRS recommends that even if you don't file, you still keep any relevant financial records indefinitely.
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FAQs
It's perfectly legal to file a tax return even if your income falls below the IRS minimum requirement to file. If you qualify for certain tax credits but owe no tax, you might be able to claim the excess tax credit as a refund when you file your return.
Can I file an income tax return if I don't have any income? ›
Typically, if you do not have any taxable income, you do not need to file a tax return. However, the stimulus payments in recent years have shown us how important it is to have your information updated with the IRS, so filing returns without any taxable income has become very normal.
Do I have to file a tax return if I didn't make enough money? ›
Some people may choose not to file a tax return because they didn't earn enough money to be required to file. Generally, they won't receive a penalty if they are owed a refund. But, they may miss out on receiving a refund.
How can I get my tax refund if I have no income? ›
Yes. Even if you are not required to file a tax return, you may be eligible to claim certain refundable credits. “Refundable” means that you could receive a portion of those credits in the form of a tax refund. A few examples of refundable credits are the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Should I file a tax return if I had little income? ›
So, if your income is less than the standard deduction, and you don't have other income to report, you won't need to file a tax return. An example of income that you would need to report, regardless of the amount , is self-employment income.
What is the minimum income to file taxes? ›
Minimum Income to File Taxes in California
| IF your filing status is . . . | AND at the end of 2022 you were* . . . | THEN file a return if your gross income** was at least . . . |
|---|
| Married filing separately | any age | $5 |
| Head of household | under 65 65 or older | $19,400 $21,150 |
| Qualifying widow(er) | under 65 65 or older | $25,900 $27,300 |
2 more rowsFiling a nil return is no different from filing a regular income tax return.
- Enter your income details and deductions. Income tax is computed, and you will be shown that you have no tax due.
- Submit your return to the Income Tax Department. E Verify your ITR to complete the e-filing process.
You do not need income to be eligible for the Child Tax Credit if your main home is in the United States for more than half the year. If you do not have income, and do not meet the main home requirement, you will not be able to benefit from the Child Tax Credit because the credit will not be refundable.
What disqualifies you from earned income credit? ›
In general, disqualifying income is investment income such as taxable and tax-exempt interest, dividends, child's interest and dividend income reported on the return, child's tax-exempt interest reported on Form 8814, line 1b, net rental and royalty income, net capital gain income, other portfolio income, and net ...
Can I file taxes if I have no income but have a dependent? ›
It is important to note that even if a taxpayer has no income, they must still file a tax return if they have a dependent and wish to claim tax credits. Failure to do so could result in a loss of benefits.
To qualify for the EITC, you must: Have worked and earned income under $63,398. Have investment income below $11,000 in the tax year 2023. Have a valid Social Security number by the due date of your 2023 return (including extensions)
Do I have to file taxes if I don't owe anything? ›
Generally, you need to file if: Your gross income is over the filing requirement. You have over $400 in net earnings from self-employment (side jobs or other independent work) You had other situations that require you to file.
What is the no filing requirement for the IRS? ›
People who are not required to file should consider filing
Generally, taxpayers with gross income less than $13,850 for single filers, and $27,700 for married filing jointly, are not required to file a federal tax return.
How to file taxes when no income? ›
No extra steps are required on your part. Any year you have minimal or no income, you may be able to skip filing your tax return and the related paperwork. However, it's perfectly legal to file a tax return showing zero income, and this might be a good idea for a number of reasons.
What is the most you can make without filing a tax return? ›
Tax Year 2022 Filing Thresholds by Filing Status
| Filing Status | Taxpayer age at the end of 2022 | A taxpayer must file a return if their gross income was at least: |
|---|
| single | under 65 | $12,950 |
| single | 65 or older | $14,700 |
| head of household | under 65 | $19,400 |
| head of household | 65 or older | $21,150 |
6 more rowsSocial Security income can be taxable no matter how old you are. It all depends on whether your total combined income exceeds a certain level set for your filing status. You may have heard that Social Security income is not taxed after age 70; this is false.
Can I file taxes with no income and get a child tax credit? ›
State Young Child Tax Credit:
Families must have at least one qualifying child under 6 years old at the end of the tax year, must file a California state tax return, and meet the requirements of the CalEITC. As of tax year 2022 forward, taxpayers do not need to have earned income to be eligible.
Can you get EIC with no income? ›
You do not qualify for the Earned Income Credit (EIC) unless you have earned income and meet all the other EIC qualifications. Being unemployed, not working, and/or not meeting the filing threshold automatically disqualifies you from the EIC.
Can you file taxes with no income to get stimulus? ›
The best way is to file a 2020 or 2021 tax return, even if you didn't make enough money to need to file a tax return those years. Enter any income you had as well as your dependents.
Do I need to file taxes if I owe nothing? ›
The IRS has general filing requirements for most taxpayers. Even if no tax is owed, most people file a return if their gross income is more than the automatic deductions for the year. The primary automatic deduction is the the standard deduction. Its amount will depend on your filing status and age.
