Many people assume that if their income is below the IRS filing threshold or they don’t owe any tax, they don’t need to file a federal tax return. While that’s true in many cases, choosing not to file could mean leaving money on the table — and that’s something no taxpayer wants!

💡 You Can Still Get a Refund

One of the biggest reasons to file a return — even if you aren’t required to — is to claim a refund. If you had federal tax withheld from your paycheck during the year (even a small amount), filing a return is the only way to get that money back.

👉 Whether you were a part-time worker, a student with a job, or simply had withholding taken from your Social Security or other income, you must file a tax return to receive any refund owed to you.

🧾 Refundable Tax Credits Can Boost Your Refund

Filing a tax return lets you claim certain refundable tax credits — credits that can give you money back even if you didn’t owe any tax.

Here are a few examples of refundable credits:

✔ Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – for low- to moderate-income workers and families.

✔ Additional Child Tax Credit – part of the Child Tax Credit that’s refundable.

Refundable credits work differently than standard deductions: if the credit is more than what you owe in tax, you can receive the difference back as a refund — but only if you file.

🤔 Who Should File Even if It’s Not Required

You might want to (or definitely should) file a return in situations like:

✔ You had federal taxes withheld from your paychecks

✔ You made estimated tax payments

✔ You qualify for refundable tax credits like the EITC or Child Tax Credit

✔ You had little or no income but still want a refund

✔ You are eligible for free filing assistance through IRS programs like IRS Free File or VITA

Even if your income falls below the IRS filing threshold (for example, under the standard deduction amount for your filing status), filing could get money back that you wouldn’t otherwise receive.