You just need to be very careful about how you answer the questions in the TABOR part of the Colorado interview. I've laid out the steps below, but be very careful of step 5 -- this is the question most people mess up. I also pass on the requirements for the credit later in this answer.
To see whether you're eligible for the Colorado sales tax refund (TABOR) in TurboTax Online:
- Open TurboTax Online
- Select Tax Home in the left pane
- On the Hi, let's keep working on your taxes! screen, select the dropdown to the right of State Taxes, then select Start, Continue, or Pick up where you left off
- Proceed through your Colorado state screens. On the Take a look at Colorado credits and taxes screen, select Done with credits and taxes, and continue the state interview
- On the Qualifying for the Colorado state sales tax refund page, make sure you answer correctly. You can't have been incarcerated in Colorado for 180 days or more during the tax year and receive the refund.
- Select Yes on the Qualifying for the Colorado sales tax refund screen
- If you qualify, the You're getting the Colorado sales tax refund! screen should generate, and it will show the amount.. Select Continue
- Continue through the state questions
Note: If you don't come to the screen in step 5 above while reviewing your return, select Start or Revisit next to Sales Tax Refund when you come to the A few things before we wrap up your state taxes screen.
According to Line 35 TABOR State Sales Tax Refund in the 104 Book, to be eligible for the refund:
• You must be a full-year Colorado resident;
• Your return must be postmarked or transmitted by October 15, 2025;
• In general, you must be 18 or older as of January 1, 2024. If you were under 18 as of January 1, 2024, you must either have a Colorado tax liability (line 2 must be greater than 0) or be claiming a refund of Colorado wage withholding on a W-2;
• You must not have been convicted of a felony and incarcerated in a correctional facility operated by or under contract with the Colorado Department of Corrections or Federal Bureau of Prisons for 180 days or more during the year; and
• A deceased person must have met all applicable requirements as of the date of their death.
If you are eligible, look up your TABOR state sales tax refund amount in the table. First, find the column for your modified AGI from line 34. Then go down that column to the row for your filing status. Enter the amount from that box on line 35.
The TABOR state sales tax refund will be applied first against your income tax liability for this year. We will also intercept your refund if you owe other taxes or debts to the State of Colorado or the IRS. For more information, see the “Intercepted Refunds” section in these instructions.
See the Modified Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) for TABOR Sales Tax Refund section of the 2024 Colorado Individual Income Tax Return, and you'll be able to see how the amount was calculated.
If the TurboTax Online navigation described above doesn't look like what you're experiencing, see the TurboTax Help article Why does the TurboTax navigation menu look different for me?.
