If I made 16,523 why is my federal return only $523

[xmasbaby0]

Why do you think it should be more?   You have not told us anything such as your filing status or if you have dependent children, or how much was in boxes 1 and 2 of your W-2.   We would have more to work with if we knew that.

[ThomasM125]

Assuming you filed as a single person and earned $16,523 your typical federal income tax would be around $267. If that was the case and you had $790 tax withheld from your pay, you refund would be $523. Your tax situation may differ from this simple example, but it demonstrates how your tax withheld, as reported in box 2 on your W-2 form, will have a large effect on your refund. That is probably the main reason your refund is less than what you are expecting, because the amount of tax you pay in is an important determinate of how much you get back.