Income

• You are cannot earn more than $9,350 if single; $12,000 if head of household, $18,700 if married filing joint, $3,650 if married filing separately, or $15,050 if qualifying widow. If you are an elderly taxpayer (above age 65), you are allowed to earn more than ordinary taxpayers before filing a return. You are not required to file a return unless you earn $10,750 if single, $13,400 if head of household, 20, 900 if married filing joint (or $19,800 if only one spouse is 65 or older), or $16,150 if qualifying widow (er).
  
  

Considerations

• Even if your income level does not meet the IRS's filing requirements, it may still be beneficial to report your income on a tax return. If your income doesn't require you to file a return, then you can get a refund on any federal tax that was withheld from your payroll check. In addition, it may be in your best interest to file a return, even if your income is below the filing requirement, if you are eligible for one of the IRS's refundable credits. Refundable credits reduce your tax below zero and can yield a fairly large refund even if you didn't earn enough to meet the filing requirement.
  
  

Deceased Persons

• The fact that a taxpayer is deceased does not remove the executor or surviving spouse's responsibility to file a return on behalf of the deceased person. You must file a return for a deceased person if he met the filing requirements for the tax year in question prior to his death.
  
  

Time Frame

• All individual filers who meet IRS filing requirements are required to file their return on or before April 15. This deadline includes taxpayers who live in the U.S., as well as those who live abroad. However, taxpayers can mail IRS Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, to the address designated for domestic and international filers. You can find this address on page 4 of the Form 4868 instructions. If your extension is approved, your tax return will not be due until October 15.
  
  

Warning

• Taxpayers who are required to file a return but fail to do so may be assessed penalties and interest by the IRS. The Failure to File (FTF) penalty is 5 percent of the unpaid tax and the Failure to Pay (FTP) penalty is half of 1 percent of the unpaid tax. Interest is also assessed and is determined quarterly.