If a married couple filing jointly has a gross income of $16,750, are they required to file a tax return?

In this scenario, it's important to understand the filing requirements based on gross income and the tax status of a married couple filing jointly. For the tax year 2023, there are specific thresholds that determine whether a couple must file a tax return. Generally, if a couple's gross income exceeds a certain amount, they are required to file.

For married couples filing jointly, the minimum income threshold for being required to file a tax return is typically around $27,700 for 2023. Given that the couple in this scenario has a gross income of $16,750, which is below that threshold, they are not required to file a tax return. Therefore, stating that their income is below $19,000 is indeed correct because it aligns with the established rules that govern filing requirements for that tax year.

The information regarding age is irrelevant in this context since the filing thresholds are based on income levels, not age. If their gross income had exceeded the required limit based on their filing status, they would have needed to file regardless of their age or any other factor. Thus, the couple is not required to file because their gross income is significantly below the established threshold for married filing jointly.