I have a good friend who works at the IRS, and every year I get emails from her for about a week before April 15 reminding to get my taxes done. It’s not that she thinks I’ll forget, she’s just so excited about Tax Day she can’t help herself!
Frankly, I don’t get nearly as excited about it as she does, but I do like to get them in on time and I really like to do them correctly. So here’s the answer to the big question many families have when a member is receiving SSI benefits: do you have to file taxes?
SSI benefits, which are available to individuals over 18 who have a developmental disability and have never worked or who make only a very small income, (and some children under 18 whose families have lower incomes), are not taxable by the federal government. If your child receives SSI benefits and has no other income, then it is not necessary to file a tax return.
However, if your child has other income – including social security benefits through a parent, then some of the income may be taxable and you may need to file a return.
For more information, you can check out IRS Publication 907.