how much can you make before you file taxes
If you earn more than the standard deduction plus one exemption, you must file a return and pay taxes. Otherwise, you would report your income and then take these deductions; this would result in a zero or negative balance, so there would be nothing to tax. The standard deduction is $6,200 for a single taxpayer for the 2014 tax year, and personal exemptions are worth $3,950 each. Therefore, you can earn $10,150 before you have to pay taxes. This goes up to $10,300 for the 2015 tax year. Rules for Dependents. Different rules apply if someone can claim you as a dependent on his tax return. You can't claim an exemption for yourself if you're a dependent, so you're limited to the amount of the standard deduction. You must file a return and pay taxes on income that exceeds $6,200 in 2014 and $6,300 for the 2015 tax year. This rule only addresses earned income, however.