Minnesota tax filing: file MN state taxes online, Form M1, 5.35% to 9.85% rates

Do you have to file a Minnesota tax return?

A full-year Minnesota resident must file a Form M1 for 2025 if they are required to file a federal return. Part-year residents and nonresidents must file if their Minnesota-source gross income is $14,950 or more for 2025, and they use Schedule M1NR to allocate income earned in Minnesota.

You should also file even below the threshold to recover Minnesota tax that was withheld, or to claim one of the state's refundable credits: the Child Tax Credit, the Working Family Credit, the K-12 Education Credit, or the Child and Dependent Care Credit. The current rules are published by the Minnesota Department of Revenue, and the state tax filing pillar compares Minnesota with the other states.

Minnesota tax brackets and standard deduction for 2025

Minnesota uses four graduated rates, adjusted for inflation each year. Here are the 2025 brackets for single and for married filing jointly:

Minnesota has its own standard deduction, separate from and lower than the federal amount: $14,950 single, $29,900 married filing jointly, and $22,500 head of household for 2025, with an extra $2,000 (single and head of household) or $1,550 (joint) for filers 65 or older or blind. The standard deduction begins to phase down for very high earners, above $238,950 of AGI. Minnesota gives no personal exemption but allows a dependent exemption of $5,200 per qualifying dependent.

Social Security, the Child Tax Credit and education credits

Minnesota is one of the minority of states that taxes part of Social Security, but many retirees now subtract all of it. For 2025 you can subtract all federally taxable Social Security if your AGI is under $84,490 (single or head of household) or $108,320 (married filing jointly). Above those levels the subtraction phases out by 10 percent for each $4,000 of additional AGI, so higher-income retirees keep part of the benefit taxable.

Minnesota's credits are a major reason to file even at low income:

• Child Tax Credit: $1,750 per qualifying child under 18 for 2025, refundable, with no cap on the number of children. It phases out as income rises.
• Working Family Credit: Minnesota's version of the Earned Income Tax Credit, also refundable.
• K-12 Education Credit: a refundable credit worth 75 percent of qualifying education expenses, up to $1,500 per child, plus a separate education subtraction of up to $1,625 or $2,500 per child that has no income limit.

Because these credits are refundable, a lower-income family can receive money back even with little or no tax, which makes filing worthwhile.

Minnesota tax filing deadline, extension and filing online

Minnesota's deadline is April 15, 2026 for tax year 2025 returns. The state grants an automatic six-month extension to October 15, 2026 with no form to file, so you do not apply for it. The catch is payment: the extension is time to file, not to pay. Any tax owed is still due April 15, 2026, and you pay it online or with an extension payment voucher to avoid penalty and interest. Filing electronically is the practical default, and the Minnesota return builds on your federal figures. TaxFile prepares both from one pass:

• Upload or talk. Drop in your W-2s and 1099s and it reads them, or describe your year and it asks what it needs.
• Federal and Minnesota together. One set of documents produces both returns, with the graduated rates and the state standard deduction applied.
• Subtractions and credits checked. It runs the Social Security subtraction and tests the Child Tax Credit, Working Family Credit, and K-12 education credit.
• Error check, then you approve. Nothing is e-filed until you review and approve every line, through an authorized IRS e-file provider.

Pricing is $39 for a simple return, $89 self-employed, $199 business, plus $19 for each state return. There is no free tier. If your Minnesota income comes from contract or freelance work, self-employed tax filing covers Schedule C and Schedule SE in more detail. TaxFile does not e-file federal extensions or prepare amended returns, and does not handle capital gains on Schedule D, rental income on Schedule E, or cryptocurrency. TaxFile is self-prepared tax software and does not provide personalized tax advice, and no refund amount is guaranteed.