Question:   How much does an unmarried dependent student have to make before he or she has to file an income tax return?

Answer:   If you are an unmarried dependent student, you must file a tax return if your earned and/or unearned income exceeds certain limits.

• To find these limits refer to Who Must File, Dependents in Publication 501, Exemptions, Standard Deduction and Filing Information.
• Even if you do not have to file, you should file a federal income tax return if you can get money back (for example, had income tax withheld from your pay; you qualify for the earned income credit; you qualify for the additional child tax credit). See Who Should File in Publication 501, Exemptions, Standard Deduction and Filing Information, for more examples.