If he has no tax liability anyway, (e.g. he made less than the standard deduction of 12,950) then there's no requirement to file. However, if he had any federal income tax withheld from his paycheck, it makes sense to file to get that money back. However, instead of paying turbotax, use something free like freetaxusa.com

But you're saying that the tax screen showed he does owe taxes. Maybe a 1099, and he owes some FICA taxes?