At any age, if you are a dependent on another person's tax return and you are filing your own tax return, your standard deduction can not exceed the greater of $1,250 or the sum of $400 and your individual earned income. Additionally, this rule does not apply if the dependent make equal to or greater than the standard deduction for their filing status. Learn more about
how to file a tax return as a dependent.
Sample 1: If your earned income was $700. Your standard deduction would be $1,250 as the sum of $700 plus $350 is $1,050, thus less than $1,250.
Sample 2: If your income was $3,200, your standard deduction would be: $3,600 as the sum of $3,200 plus $400 is $3,400, thus greater than $1,250.
Sample 3: As a dependent, if you have a taxable income of $15,000, then you claim the standard deduction for single taxpayers of $13,850 and pay tax on the remaining $1,150.
Learn more about
who qualifies as a dependent.