If I had large amounts of my income deducted from my pay for federal taxes and my federal tax return was extremely small. Where did my money go if I didn’t get it back?

[DoninGA]

The taxes withheld were used to pay your total tax liability as shown on your tax return.  If you received a tax refund then your total taxes paid were greater than your total tax liability so that you would receive a refund for the overpayment.

[xmasbaby0]

We have no information from you regarding your filing status, whether you have dependents, etc.etc etc. nor have you mentioned what the "large amounts" of income were that were deducted, or the amount of your gross income.    If you got a W-2, then box 1 showed your total income, and box 2 showed the amount of federal tax withheld.    You do not ever get back anything that you see in boxes 3 or 4 for Medicare or Social Security.     Sounds like you had a tax liability, and the government kept some of the tax that was withheld, and refunded what was left.   Do you have some reason to believe you were supposed to get all of the tax withheld back?    Provide some details---but no personal information like SSN or email, etc.

[xmasbaby0]

@kdsmilealways 

"Where did my money go if  I didn't get it back?"

Here are just "some" examples of where your money went if you did not get it all back:

Health insurance programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Affordable Care Act.  Social Security benefits provided to retirees, surviving spouses or surviving children, or the disabled.  Defense expenses for military.  Economic security programs such as earned income tax credit or child tax credit to assist lower income working families, SSI, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), school meals, low-income housing assistance, childcare assistance, programs for abused or neglected children.  Benefits for military veterans.