Form 1099-G please help

[txkpt]

I never got this before but I got two forms 1099-G all for 2018.  on box 3 it says "Box 2 amount is for tax year 2016" and the other one it says "Box 2 amount is for tax year 2017".  the other one is less than $50 and the other one is a little over $200. thankyou

[VolvoGirl]

So you got both 2017 & 2018 state refunds in 2019.  

A state refund might be taxable on your federal return.  

A State Tax Refund is taxable if you itemized deductions on that prior year's federal return and took a deduction for state income taxes instead of the sale tax.  You got a deduction benefit for it so now you have to include it as income. If you took the standard deduction it is not taxable and you don't need to report it.

If you filed the Free Edition you took the Standard Deduction and the state tax refund is not taxable and you don't have to enter it.

Did you take the Standard Deduction for 2017?  For 2018?

[VolvoGirl]

Oh those years should be 2016 & 2017.  Are you still filling out your 2018 return?  Those go on your 2018 return.  Currently the online version is only to do a 2019 return.  If you already filed 2018 (like last year) you may need to amend 2018 to add the 1099G.

[txkpt]

thanks.  I"m doing the offline version, trying to do my 2018 yr.  the 1099 forms all say "2018" but the box 3 one says for 2016 and 2017.

[VolvoGirl]

That's ok.  You might need to add them together or just enter one if it's taxable.  Look at your 2016 federal return.  Did you take the Standard Deduction or Itemized Deductions?  Do you have a schedule A?

Same for your 2017 federal return.  

What 1040 form did you file?  What deduction did you take on 1040 line 40?  Or did you file 1040A or 1040EZ?

[txkpt]

wow that's very tough on me.  basically what happened was for the 2016 and 2017 yr I didn't file and didn't owe any.  I gathered up all my 2016 and 2017 w2s and had a tax preparer do my tax for me in 2018.

[VolvoGirl]

Well he should have given you a copy of your 2016 & 2017 returns he did for you.  You probably took the Standard Deduction.  Did you have any deductions like Mortgage Interest and property tax?  If you don't think he took any deductions like Medical & Charity, etc. then just ignore the 1099G.  You don't have to enter them.

[txkpt]

those yrs were complicated and my tax was simple. 🙂  he gave copies for me but I lost my place of living and lost my copies.  The tax guy closed down his business.  I filed joint, 2 kids, and made less than $9000, no mortage no house or property, no health insurance, basically poor.  The only thing I did was drop some money for the bell ringers during Christmas and dropped off some can foods and old clothes.