amount you can earn before paying taxes
According to efile.com, the amount of money a person can make without filing taxes depends on filing status and age. For tax year 2013, a single person under 65 years old had to make in excess of $10,000 before filing taxes, while someone over 65 years old needed income over $11,500 to file taxes. Dependents have a lower tax filing threshold of $6,100 if they're under 65 years old, single and not blind.
If you are single and under age 65, you can earn up to $9,499 in a year and not file a tax return. Should you be 65 or older, you could earn up to $10,949 and be exempt from filing a federal tax return. However, you may qualify for an Earned Income Tax Credit, which is refundable in cash to you.
Income Tax Trigger. You don't owe income tax if your income is less than your standard deduction plus your personal exemption. As of 2012, a married couple under 65 doesn't have to file if their net income is less than $19,500 together; for a single filer, it's $9,750.