I should be getting more on my federal return. Last year I got 800 and I made around the same this year but receiving only 290?

We cannot see your screen, your return or your account.  Have you entered ALL of your 2024 information?  All your income, etc.?  Many tax documents that you need do not arrive until late January or even February, so maybe you do not have it all there yet.

 

 

There are a lot of variables that affect your refund or tax due including how much you earned, how much tax you had withheld, your filing status, the number of dependents you claim, your deductions and credits, etc.  You may have lost Earned Income Credit or the Child Tax Credit— did a child turn 17?  If you received the EIC last year, remember that changes in the amount you earn have a big effect on the amount of EIC you can get. (Sometimes earning more money means less EIC)  Are you 65 or older ?  If so, your standard deduction is higher. Everyone has a higher standard deduction now so it is harder to use itemized deductions.

 

 

And of course, always check your own data entries, looking for errors such as misplaced decimals or extra zeros.

 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-refund/refund-go-compared-last-year/L97JmhUbi_US_en_US?uid=ld9ijm41

 

Print out 2023  and 2024  and compare them side by side to see what is different. 

 

 

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/tax-payments/video-why-would-i-owe-federal-taxes/L3VXudPiN

 

 

We can't see your return, but these are the most common things that effect your refund or balance due:

• The amount of federal and/or state withholding;
• Income based credits, such as the Earned Income credit;
• Tax bracket changes
• Change in Filing Status;
• Change in dependents claimed;
• No longer have a child, under age 17, to claim the Child Tax Credit
• Self-employment income generates a self-employment tax as well as income taxes.

 

Here is a TurboTax Help Article that will give you more information.