Who can use SimpleFile to file a Colorado tax return?
You can file a Colorado state tax return to claim your Colorado Child Tax Credit and Family Affordability Tax Credit with SimpleFile if you meet the following requirements.
Requirements for Single filers:
- You must have a Social Security number or ITIN
- You lived in Colorado for the full year, and Colorado was your permanent home for all of 2025
- You cannot be claimed as a dependent on another person’s tax return
- You cannot file on behalf of someone who is deceased
- Your income in 2025 must be less than $15,000
- On 12/31/2025, you had a child age 16 or younger that you can claim as a dependent.
Requirements for Married filers:
- You and your spouse must file a joint return
- You and your spouse must both have a Social Security number or ITIN
- You and your spouse lived in Colorado for the full year, and Colorado was your permanent home for all of 2025
- You and your spouse cannot be claimed as a dependent on another person’s tax return
- You cannot file on behalf of someone who is deceased, including for a spouse
- Your income in 2025 must be less than $26,000
- On 12/31/2025, you had a child age 16 or younger that you can claim as a dependent.
Additional Requirements for both single and married filers:
- You cannot have income from a state other than Colorado
- You cannot have self-employment income more than $400 (which includes gig and contract work)
- You cannot have already filed a federal or state tax return for 2025
- You cannot be required to file a federal tax return for 2025. You may be required to file if you have one of these uncommon scenarios:
- You received advance payments of the Premium Tax Credit for you, your spouse, or dependents (reported on Form 1095-A). This means that you purchased health insurance through your state’s online marketplace in 2025.
- You received distributions from a 529, HSA, Archer MSA, or Medicare Advantage MSA account. This means that you took money out of an account that has specific requirements for use, like medical expenses or education expenses.
- You received, sold, exchanged, or disposed of digital assets, including cryptocurrency.
- You may also be required to file a federal tax return for 2025 if you had one of these very uncommon scenarios:
- You owe Alternative Minimum tax
- You owe additional tax on a qualified plan including an individual retirement arrangement (IRA), or other tax-favored account
- You owe household employment taxes
- You owe Social Security and Medicare tax on tips you did not report to your employer or on wages you received from an employer who did not withhold these taxes
- You are required to make a recapture payment of the first-time homebuyer credit
- You owe write-in taxes. These are specific kinds of taxes that are not automatically calculated by an employer and require you to manually add them on the tax return. Full list of write-in taxes.
- You owe recapture taxes. These are scenarios where the IRS requires you to pay back all or part of a credit, deduction, or benefit previously claimed on a federal tax return because you no longer qualify for that credit. Full list of recapture taxes.
- You had wages of $108.28 or more from a church or qualified church controlled organization that is exempt from employer Social Security taxes
- You may also be required to file a federal tax return for 2025 if you had one of these very uncommon scenarios:
- You owe Alternative Minimum tax
- You owe additional tax on a qualified plan including an individual retirement arrangement (IRA), or other tax-favored account
- You owe household employment taxes
- You owe Social Security and Medicare tax on tips you did not report to your employer or on wages you received from an employer who did not withhold these taxes
- You are required to make a recapture payment of the first-time homebuyer credit
- You owe write-in taxes. These are specific kinds of taxes that are not automatically calculated by an employer and require you to manually add them on the tax return. Full list of write-in taxes.
- You owe recapture taxes. These are scenarios where the IRS requires you to pay back all or part of a credit, deduction, or benefit previously claimed on a federal tax return because you no longer qualify for that credit. Full list of recapture taxes.
- You had wages of $108.28 or more from a church or qualified church controlled organization that is exempt from employer Social Security taxes
If you have any questions about these requirements you can email us at simplefile@getyourrefund.org or click “Chat with us” in the bottom right corner.