What is the filing requirement for an unmarried dependent earning $975 from wages and $175 from interest?

To determine the filing requirement for an unmarried dependent, we first need to look at the concept of the standard deduction and how income types factor into it. For a dependent who is unmarried, the 2023 standard deduction is set at a threshold that protects a certain amount of their earnings from taxation.

In this case, the unmarried dependent has earned income of $975 from wages and $175 from interest. The key factor in deciding if they need to file a tax return is whether their gross income exceeds the allowable threshold.

The combined total income for the dependent is $1,150 ($975 from wages plus $175 from interest), however, only earned income counts towards the standard deduction requirement for dependents. For 2023, a dependent can file if their earned income exceeds the standard deduction for dependents. For 2023, the standard deduction for an unmarried dependent is greater than the earned income limit, which means if the dependent's wages alone are below this threshold, no tax return is required.

Since the wages of $975 are below the limit of the standard deduction, the requirement to file does not apply in this case. Therefore, the correct explanation is that the total wages are less than the standard deduction for a dependent, indicating that there is