Do You Need to File a Tax Return?
Most American citizens need to file a tax return but there are some individuals due to age, filing status and income that are not required to do so. An example is a married couple filing jointly that earned less than $17,900 during 2008. The exception to the rule is if one of the individuals is self employed. Self employed individuals always need to file a return if they earned over $400 for the tax year.
Choose to File
If you contact a tax specialist or call the IRS and determine that you do not need to file a return there are cases where you would want to file a return anyway. For instance, if you paid taxes to the federal government through payroll deductions and are expecting a refund. Other cases include if you are eligible for the Recovery Rebate Credit, if you can claim the Earned Income Credit, or you are a first time home buyer and eligible for a tax credit.
Do You Need to File a Tax Return?,
