I am being told I will receive a credit for the retirement account I pay into through my employer. Is this a "cash" credit (larger refund)?

[dimiasdaddy]

I am being advised through Turbotax to upgrade, in order to get this. However I'm unsure if it's worth it, if I'm not getting more back. If it's just a "tax break" in the sense of saving me money that I may have to pay in, I don't want to do it. I'd be paying out more than I'm being credited.

[JohnW222 · Accepted solution]

It’s a "non-refundable" tax credit, which means that it can’t reduce the amount of tax owed to less than zero, so it won't necessarily increase your refund.

The so-called "Saver's Credit" is calculated on a specific percentage of the contributions you've made during the year, with the percentage based on your adjusted gross income.

Please see the TurboTax article "What is the 2019 Saver's Credit?" for more information.

I'll also attach Form 8880 so that you can see how the calculation works.