Please explain to me in laymans terms, Why am I getting such a big refund back this year, in comparison to last year. thank you

[JotikaT2]

It depends.

As we cannot see your income tax return here as this is a public forum, I can only offer a few items that could have spurred your large refund.

It is possible that you had more withheld in income tax payments on your earnings this year than last year which resulted in a higher refund this year.

Also, there are many factors that go into determining your overall tax refund, such as other sources of income or credits you could be entitled to.

Did you receive any stimulus payments if you were eligible, or did you not receive anything even though you should have?  If so, you would also have a Rebate Recovery Credit calculated on your tax return resulting in a higher refund.

Recovery Rebate Credit eligibility

It essentially depends upon your overall tax return from 2019 to 2020.  Any changes from year to year will impact your overall refund or tax liability when you file.

In TurboTax, you can view your tax summary for your 2020 tax return by doing the following:

1. Go into the black panel on the left and select Tax Tools. 
2. Then select Tools beneath Tax Tools. 
3. A "Tools Center" box will pop up, select "View Tax Summary" 
4. You will see a screen that gives a snapshot of your taxes based upon your input so far. 
5. Click on the black panel on the left bar and select Preview my 1040
6. This will allow you to review your overall line items on your federal tax return.  Compare these amounts to your actual tax return for 2019 to help you determine why there is such a large difference from year to year.

 After you review the above items, simply select "Back" in the black panel to get back to the interview forms. 

[puffycream]

why am I getting such a big refund.. i did not get this much last year..I also get social security disabitlity and did not see anywhere to file it.. did I miss it?  is that why my reuturn is bigger?? thank you Susanna Walter.. please send an answer to [email address removed] thank you

[DoninGA]

---

@puffycream wrote:

why am I getting such a big refund.. i did not get this much last year..I also get social security disabitlity and did not see anywhere to file it.. did I miss it?  is that why my reuturn is bigger?? thank you Susanna Walter.. please send an answer to [email address removed] thank you

---

To enter Social Security benefits reported on form SSA-1099

• Click on Federal Taxes (Personal using Home and Business)
• Click on Wages and Income (Personal Income using Home and Business)
• Click on I'll choose what I work on (if shown)
• Scroll down to Retirement Plans and Social Security
• On Social Security (SSA-1099, RRB-1099), click the start or update button

Or enter ssa-1099 in the Search box located in the upper right of the program screen. Click on Jump to ssa-1099

[jcruise201]

The review page of my Turbo Tax summary says the reason I am getting a larger refund is because my earning are about $20,000 less then the year before.  I don't understand that because I am retired and nothing has change since my year of retirement in 2006.  

[email address removed]

[AliciaP1]

You may want to go back through the step-by-step interview process to verify you have entered all of your information or did not make an entry error.  Also, you may want to compare your documentation for 2022 to what you received and reported for 2021 to ensure you're not missing a form before you file.

@jcruise201

[fanfare]

Always print a copy of your completed tax return for your records, and review it carefully before e-Filing.
You will need it if you are audited by the IRS, or to amend if a TurboTax update changes your return or for any other reason,

AND, to find your AGI next year.

@jcruise201