
We are an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. Most U.S. citizens and permanent residents who work in the U.S. are required to file taxes. Tina Orem is an editor and content strategist at NerdWallet. Prior to becoming an editor and content strategist, she covered small business and taxes at NerdWallet. She has been a financial writer and editor for over 15 years, and she has a degree in finance, as well as a master’s degree in journalism and a Master of Business Administration. Previously, she was a financial analyst Financial Forecasting For Startups and director of finance for several public and private companies.
- You don’t have to file Form 8949 or Schedule D if you aren’t deferring any capital gain by investing in a qualified opportunity fund and both of the following apply.
 - All taxpayers have fundamental rights they should be aware of when dealing with the IRS.
 - For more information, see the Form 8888 instructions.
 - Uncollected social security and Medicare or RRTA tax on tips or group-term life insurance.
 - Taxpayers must calculate both regular tax and AMT liability, paying the higher of the two.
 - See Nonresident aliens and dual-status aliens, earlier, for more information on making the election for you and your spouse to be taxed on your combined worldwide income.
 
How Schedule 1 Affects Your Tax Return

Also enter the designee’s name, phone number, and any five digits the designee chooses as their personal identification number (PIN). When figuring the amount on line 24, include household employment taxes only if 1040s tax form line 25d is more than zero or you would have owed the estimated tax penalty for 2023 even if you didn’t include those taxes. If paying the tax when it is due would cause you an undue hardship, you can ask for an extension of time to pay by filing Form 1127 by the due date of your return (not counting extensions)—April 15, 2025, for most people.
Specific Instructions

Check the “Married filing separately” box in the Filing Status section on page 1 of Form 1040 or 1040-SR if you are married, at the end of 2024, and file a separate return. Enter your spouse’s name in the entry space below the filing status checkboxes. Be sure to enter your spouse’s SSN or ITIN in the space for spouse’s SSN on Form 1040 or 1040-SR.
Forms, instructions & publications

If you want to claim the child tax credit or the credit for other dependents, you (and your spouse if filing jointly) must have an SSN or ITIN issued on or before the due date of your 2024 return (including extensions). If an ITIN is applied for on or before the due date of a 2024 return (including extensions) and the IRS issues an ITIN as a result of the application, the IRS will consider the ITIN as issued on or before the due date of the return. When filing your federal tax return using IRS Form 1040, you may encounter situations that require reporting income or deductions not included directly on the main form. That’s where Schedule 1 (Form 1040) – Additional Income and Adjustments to Income comes in. This important supplemental form allows taxpayers to report a wide range of income sources and adjustments that affect their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), and ultimately, the amount of tax owed or refunded.
(See Pub. 501 for details and examples.) In that case, go to Step 2, question 3 (for a qualifying child), or Step 4, question 4 (for a qualifying relative). IF YOU can claim a refundable credit (other than the earned income credit, American opportunity credit, or additional child tax credit); such as the net premium tax credit. Have other payments, such as an amount paid with a request for an extension to file or excess social security tax withheld. If the total unearned revenue of your itemized deductions does not exceed the Standard Deduction for your filing status, then your taxable income will usually be lower if you claim the Standard Deduction.
- However, Code section 6103 allows or requires the Internal Revenue Service to disclose or give the information shown on your tax return to others as described in the Code.
 - If you checked more than one box, enter the total amount on line 1e.
 - If you received tips of $20 or more in any month and you didn’t report the full amount to your employer, you must pay the social security and Medicare or railroad retirement (RRTA) tax on the unreported tips.
 - Direct File is a permanent option for taxpayers to file federal tax returns online–for free–directly and securely with the IRS starting in 2025.
 - Go to IRS.gov/FreeFile to see if you qualify and for more information, including a list of Free File trusted partners.