Teenage tax return help?

Your Mom is trying to help, but she really doesn't understand how it works and her advice is WAY off the mark.

You can always file your own tax return.

Let me repeat that: You can ALWAYS file your own tax return.

You file your return based on your income. Get a copy of form 1040-EZ and the instructions, or try one of the popular tax software programs. Its pretty simple.

Your mother already claimed you. that's fine because she had every right to claim you as a dependent. She got an extra deduction for you and saved some money. But that does NOT prevent you from filing your own return. It simply means that when you file, you check a box saying that someone else can claim you as a dependent. You do not get a personal exemption for yourself (your mother got your personal exemption by claiming you as a dependent). In most cases, it doesn't matter because your income was probably low enough that you'll get all your tax refunded anyway.

Not correct. You can file your own return, you just have to check the box that says someone can claim you as a dependent. If box 1 is less than 6200 and box 2 is blank or zero, there's no point in filing. If box 2 is more than 6200, you're legally required to file. If box 1 is less than 6200 but there's a number in box 2, you can file and get the amount in box 2 refunded to you. Box 1 is the amount you made, box 2 is what they took out for income tax. If you made less than 6200 you don't owe any federal income tax.tax.

for once mom doesn't know what she is talking about

if you worked you got a W-2 so look at it, if you didn't make more than $6200 and no income tax was withheld, you don't need to file

if there was income tax withheld on the amount of $6200 or less you would want to file to get that refunded to you

if you made more than that oh yes, you need to file, you might have some refund or you possibly could owe some

Mom is wrong. You can file your own return. You just can't claim an exemption for yourself on your return.

Everyone can file. There is no one who cannot file. If someone says that someone can't file, that means only one thing: it means the person who said it wasn't telling the truth.

You can file, your mom is wrong. You can file if claimed as a dependent, your mom has no clue what she is talking about.