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Refund

Why is my refund so low?? How do I go back and check amounts

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2 Replies

Refund

No one can see your return or your screen.   We cannot tell you anything about your refund.   Provide some details----or print out your 2020 return and your 2021 return and compare them side by side.

 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/refunds/help/why-did-my-refund-go-down-compared-to-last-year-s/00/...

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
HelenC12
Expert Alumni

Refund

If your federal refund is lower than expected, it's because you didn't have enough federal income taxes withheld from your paychecks. Do a line by line review of your 2021 Form 1040 versus your 2020 Form 1040 to identify the difference or differences. See How do I preview my TurboTax Online return before filing? Also, see the information below. 

  • Tip: If your refund is wildly off, you may have mistyped a dollar amount somewhere. An extra digit here, a missing number there, even a misplaced decimal point can have an eye-popping (but easily correctable) effect on your refund.

If you didn't update your form  W-4 for 2021, it’s highly possible this is why you owe. If you'd like to get a bigger refund, complete a form W-4 for 2022 and have an additional withheld. You'll get less money in your paycheck but you'll get a bigger refund next year. 

 

We've got some other possible reasons for a year-over-year refund decrease:

Source: TurboTax FAQ

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