Do I have to file for an Income tax return if I didn't earn income last year?

Here's my situation:

Last year (2007) I didn't earn any income. I started a real estate services business (hence the reason I didn't make any money) right before the real estate crash.

Actually, I probably made about $30. So my question is: Do I have to file for an income tax return? Are there any benefits in doing so? I must have lost about $3,000.00 on the business last year.

If there aren't any significant benefits, I'm thinking of just not wasting my time doing it. But, if there are significant benefits I probably will.

I just want to know if I actually HAVE to file or not.

Thank you all in advance for any advice you can give me.

If all you made was $30, then you don't HAVE to file, but you should if you want your $300 economic stimulus rebate check. It'll take you about 15 minutes, which is not bad for earning $300.

If you don't file, you don't get the rebate check.

But you don't HAVE to file if you only made $30.

only if you want to get the stimulus check -
you don't file - you don't get

did you have other income -? can you write off your losses
against your other income - how did you survive?

forget the last 2 nosey lines - - - the first two are the most important

You do not have to file and you no not qualify for the stimulus, so do not worry....

See this page....
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p501.pdf

In order to qualify for the stimulus you had to had an GROSS INCOME of minimun $3,000.00

Yes, you need to file even though you did not get any income. The benefits of it, you will get around 300-500 dollars in tax credit.