Retirement tax questions

A state refund may be taxable on the federal return.   Did you take the Standard Deduction on your 2019 or 2020 Federal return?  If you took the Standard Deduction it is not taxable and you don't need to enter it at all.

 

A State Tax Refund is taxable if you itemized deductions on that prior year's federal return and took a deduction for state income taxes instead of the sale tax.  You got a deduction benefit for it so now you have to include it as income. If you took the standard deduction it is not taxable and you don't need to report it.

 

You need to check your 2020 1040 line 12 to see which deduction you took.  How much is on line 12?

 

You need to check your 2019 1040 line 9 to see which deduction you took.  How much is on line 9?