Why sign in to the Community?

  • Submit a question
  • Check your notifications
Sign in to the Community or Sign in to TurboTax and start working on your taxes
Level 6
posted Feb 10, 2023 10:18:59 AM

State Tax Return Refund & Federal Return

Hi, if I filed a 2021 state tax return in the State of Delaware in Feb. 2022 for my daughter and she received a modest refund. Was I supposed to include the state tax refund as income on her 2022 Federal Return? Her 2022 taxable income was $0.00 after the standard deduction and exemptions. Thanks

0 6 857
2 Best answers
Employee Tax Expert
Feb 10, 2023 10:32:43 AM

A state tax refund from filing the prior year's taxes would only be taxable if there was a tax benefit - i.e., you took an itemized deduction for taxes paid. Since your daughter's return for 2021 took the standard deduction, then she didn't deduct the taxes on her 2021 return and the refund isn't taxable for 2021.

 

Enter a 2021 refund in the 2022 TurboTax program and TurboTax will confirm whether it's taxable.

 

See this help article for more information.

 

Expert Alumni
Feb 10, 2023 11:15:42 AM

You should keep the records in case there is a question but if it did not change her tax liability, then there would not be any penalty or interest associated with the state refund. So it would not be necessary to amend the return for that item. If something else arises that would require an amendment, you can certainly add it to the return then. 

6 Replies
Employee Tax Expert
Feb 10, 2023 10:32:43 AM

A state tax refund from filing the prior year's taxes would only be taxable if there was a tax benefit - i.e., you took an itemized deduction for taxes paid. Since your daughter's return for 2021 took the standard deduction, then she didn't deduct the taxes on her 2021 return and the refund isn't taxable for 2021.

 

Enter a 2021 refund in the 2022 TurboTax program and TurboTax will confirm whether it's taxable.

 

See this help article for more information.

 

Level 6
Feb 10, 2023 10:49:08 AM

Hi, the message stated that it was not taxable. 

Employee Tax Expert
Feb 10, 2023 10:58:00 AM

Thanks for the follow-up post. You did the right thing by entering the refund in TurboTax.

 

Level 6
Feb 10, 2023 11:03:48 AM

Actually I had already filed the Federal return. Do I need to submit a corrected return even though there are no tax consequences? 

Expert Alumni
Feb 10, 2023 11:15:42 AM

You should keep the records in case there is a question but if it did not change her tax liability, then there would not be any penalty or interest associated with the state refund. So it would not be necessary to amend the return for that item. If something else arises that would require an amendment, you can certainly add it to the return then. 

Level 6
Feb 10, 2023 11:43:19 AM

Awesome. Thanks