SHOULD DEPENDENTS FILE THEIR OWN TAX RETURNS?

A working teenager or college student who is a dependent on their parents' tax return may not need to file a tax return of their own if income from their job was less than $6,350 for 2017. However, if federal income taxes were withheld from their paychecks, they should file a tax return to get that money refunded.

Note that dependents are not allowed to claim an exemption on their own tax return because the parents are entitled to claim the exemption for their dependents on the parents' tax return. In addition, the dependent's standard deduction is limited to the earned income for the year plus $350, but not to exceed the regular standard deduction of $6350.