Teen Summer Job Tax Calculator
Estimate federal, FICA, and state withholding on summer wages. Find out whether you can write “Exempt” on Form W-4, whether the parent-employer or student FICA exemption applies, and whether you need to file a tax return.
Total earned from the summer job, before any withholding.
Cash tips over $20/month must be reported to your employer.
FICA-exempt only if you are also under 18.
Federal Tax
$0After $4,450 dependent deduction
Social Security (6.2%)
$248Standard FICA
Medicare (1.45%)
$58State Tax
$0TX
W-4 tip: Your expected annual earnings are below the $15,750 dependent standard deduction, so you would owe $0 in federal tax. You qualify to write “Exempt” on line 4c of Form W-4 to stop federal withholding — but only if (a) you had no federal tax liability last year and (b) you expect none this year.
Who is a “dependent”? If your parents still claim you on their return, you file as a dependent. Your standard deduction is the greater of $1,350 (2025) or earned income + $450, capped at $15,750.
Side gig (babysitting, mowing)? Net earnings of $400 or more trigger self-employment tax on Schedule SE — see the 1099 calculator for that case.
Kiddie tax only applies to unearned income (interest, dividends, capital gains) over $2,700 in 2025. Summer wages are earned income and don’t trigger kiddie tax.
This tool estimates federal and state tax using single-filer brackets and dependent standard deduction rules for illustrative purposes. Actual paycheck withholding may differ slightly based on your W-4 entries and employer payroll software.
Frequently asked questions
Do teens have to pay taxes on a summer job?
Teens pay Social Security and Medicare (FICA) at 7.65% on every dollar of wages unless a specific exemption applies (under-18 working for a parent’s sole proprietorship, or a student working for the school they attend). Federal income tax only applies above the dependent standard deduction — $15,750 for 2025 ($14,600 for 2024). A teen earning under that amount owes $0 federal tax, though withholding may still occur unless they write “Exempt” on Form W-4.
Can a teen claim exempt on Form W-4?
A teen can write “Exempt” on line 4c of Form W-4 only if they had no federal tax liability last year AND expect none this year. If total annual earnings will stay below the dependent standard deduction, no tax is owed and claiming exempt is valid. FICA is still withheld regardless.
When is a teen required to file a tax return?
A dependent teen must file if earned income exceeds $15,750 (2025) or $14,600 (2024), or unearned income exceeds $1,350 (2025) / $1,300 (2024), or gross income exceeds the larger of those two amounts. Even when not required, filing is the only way to recover federal income tax that was withheld from paychecks.
Does the kiddie tax apply to summer job wages?
No. Kiddie tax only applies to unearned income — interest, dividends, and capital gains — above $2,700 in 2025. Wages and tips from a summer job are earned income and are taxed at the child’s own rates, not the parent’s.
Is a teen exempt from FICA when working for a parent?
Yes — under IRC §3121(b)(3)(A), wages paid by a parent to a child under age 18 are exempt from Social Security and Medicare tax when the parent operates as a sole proprietorship or a partnership where both partners are the child’s parents. The exemption does not apply when the parent operates as a corporation (S-corp or C-corp).