State Refund 1099-G (California) question: "Total of All your payments and withholding"?????

[mcathsmith]

RE: State Refund 1099-G California: I have NO IDEA WHERE to find any information about any "Total of all your payments and withholding". I don't comprehend WHAT they are asking here!  I use Turbo Tax every year and I've never been asked  to "Total all your payments and withholding" when putting in the 1099-G California State Refund amount.  This new information is going over my head.  Why doesn't Turbo Tax simply tell me what line on my California Tax Return shows the number that is needed here????  What are "payments and withholdings"?  Are those Income Taxes I paid to the State in 2023?  HELP?  I've never been stumped like this.  This question has NEVER been asked before by Turbo Tax. 

[DawnC]

If you took the federal standard deduction in 2023, the state refund is not taxable and does not need to be entered.   But if you itemized, it may be all or partially taxable.   TurboTax is asking for that information to determine how much is taxable, if you itemized.   So, if you did itemize in 2023:

Add up any payments you made to your state or locality, along with any state or locality withholdings from the previous tax year, including:

- Amounts withheld on your W-2, W-2G, and 1099
- Estimated tax payments for 2023 (including any paid in 2024 for 2023 - it's common for the fourth quarterly payment to be made in January)
- Overpayment from 2022 applied toward your 2023 return
- Payments made with an extension of time to file
- Refundable credits

You can find most of this info on your 2023 state tax return. Do not include balance due payments made with (or after) filing a return.   And if you took the standard deduction, you do not need to enter the 1099-G you received for your state tax refund.