Who must file a New York individual income tax return?

You must file a New York State resident return if you meet any of the following conditions:

  1. You have to file a federal return.

  2. You did not have to file a federal return but:
    your federal filing status would have been: and you had federal adjusted gross income (plus New York additions)* of more than:
    Single, and you can be claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer's federal return. $3,000
    Single, and you cannot be claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer's federal return or
    married filing joint return or
    married filing separate return or
    head of household or
    qualifying widow(er)
    $4,000

  3. You want to claim a refund of any New York State, city of New York, or city of Yonkers income taxes withheld from your pay.

  4. You want to claim a refund of any of the following New York State, city of New York, or city of Yonkers credits:
    • Accumulation distribution credit
    • Alternative fuels credit
    • Bio-fuel production credit
    • Brownfield credits
    • Child and dependent care credit (part-year resident)
    • City of New York earned income credit
    • City of New York school tax credit
    • Claim of right credit (New York State, City of New York, and City of Yonkers)
    • Clean heating fuel credit
    • College tuition credit
    • Conservation easement tax credit
    • Defibrillator credit
    • Empire State child and dependent care credit
    • Empire State commercial production credit
    • Empire State film production credit
    • Employment of persons with disability credit
    • EZ capital tax credit
    • EZ investment tax credits
    • EZ wage tax credit
    • Farmers' school tax credit
    • FSI EZ investment tax credit
    • FSI investment tax credit
    • Fuel cell electric generating equipment credit
    • Green building credit
    • Historic barn rehabilitation credit
    • Historic home ownership rehabilitation credit
    • Investment credit
    • Long-term care insurance credit
    • Low-income housing credit
    • Lump-sum distribution-resident credit
    • New York City accumulation distribution credit
    • New York State child and dependent care credit
    • New York State earned income credit
    • New York State household credit
    • Noncustodial parent earned income credit
    • Nursing home assessment credit
    • QETC capital tax credit
    • QETC employment credit
    • QETC facilities, operations, and training credit
    • QEZE credit for real property taxes
    • QEZE tax reduction credit
    • Real property tax credit
    • Rehabilitation of historic properties credit
    • Resident credit
    • Residential fuel oil storage tank credit carryover
    • Security officer training credit
    • Solar and wind energy credit carryover
    • Solar energy system equipment credit
    • Special additional mortgage recording tax credit
    • Taxicabs and livery service vehicle accessible to persons with disability credit
    • Unincorporated business tax credit
    • Volunteer firefighters' and ambulance workers' credit
    • ZEA wage tax credit for new business

  5. You are subject to the minimum income tax.

  6. You are subject to the separate tax on lump-sum distributions.


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