Is it possible that a state refund could be more than a federal refund?

bdelisha — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 04:14:11 GMT

Re: Is it possible that a state refund could be more than a federal refund?

DoninGA — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 16:04:24 GMT

Of course. They are separate tax returns.

Your federal tax refund is based on your federal tax payments and your federal tax liability.

Your state tax refund is based on your state tax payments and your state tax liability.

JulieS — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 16:11:33 GMT

Yes, it's possible that a state refund could be more than a federal refund.

For example, you may have to pay self-employment tax on your federal return, but not on your state return, resulting in a higher state refund.

If your state refund seems too high, it's worth taking a moment to review the state information boxes on your W-2 forms.

To review your W-2 in TurboTax Online:

Open you return.
Select Federal, then Wages & Income.
To the right of Job (W-2), select Edit/ Add.
Expand the section by selecting the down arrow to the right
Select Edit below the W-2 information.
Review your W-2 information here, paying particular attention to boxes 16, 17, 18 and 19. Make corrections if needed, then select Continue.
Select Continue to return to the Wages & Income screen.