If your household earned less than $66,000 in 2018, you can file taxes for free

[PatrickA5]

I was not referring to current law.

I was stating my opinion that households with such low incomes [like the $33,000 example] should not be subject to federal taxes [therefore not subject to filing a tax return.] Government leaders should be ashamed to impose income taxes and/or filing requirements on households who barely make enough to maintain a household.

Odds are that these lower income people would want to file their taxes in order to get tax refunds.

 

[ncbill]

Odds are that these lower income people would want to file their taxes in order to get tax refunds.

& don't forget refundable tax credits like the EITC & AOTC.

 

[GTFan]

Definitely, the used car market makes most of its money in the 1st quarter off of those credits.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Once my mom died my dad’s pension reverted to survivor amount and a smaller SS. I don’t think she made enough to pay taxes. But between her small savings and LCOL she traveled and did other things.

 

[youbet]

Odds are that these lower income people would want to file their taxes in order to get tax refunds.

Yes. There are a number of reasons to document your income annually via filing even if you wind up paying zero fed income tax.

It seems lots of folks confuse "filing" with "paying."

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

Households with such low incomes should not be subject to federal tax.

yes, they have said for years that 47% of us do not pay into income taxes.

That is nearly half of all US citizens, bascially everyone in the bottom half of wage-earners and retirees.

That is how the system works.

I have not paid income taxes for many years.

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

Still have to file your taxes.

BIG difference between paying taxes and filing taxes.

 

[Alexi]

Once my mom died my dad’s pension reverted to survivor amount and a smaller SS. I don’t think she made enough to pay taxes. But between her small savings and LCOL she traveled and did other things.

Yes, a senior on SS is not required to pay taxes or file tax returns if his taxable income is less than the standard deduction plus the over age 65 extra standard deduction [for a single senior in 2019 that is only $13,850.] But if a single senior is in the sweet spot BELOW the 1984 income threshold law [$25,000/single which was never indexed for inflation], his SS is NOT taxable and he could live quite comfortably on less than $13,850 income plus SS in a LCOL area if he has savings, no debt and a paid off house.