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sbilgrami
Returning Member

Taxes on state refunds Received

Over the years, we have always received state and federal refunds but never gotten taxed on the refunds.

Why are the refunds we received for 2023 tax return being added to our income and getting taxed?

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2 Replies

Taxes on state refunds Received

IS MY 2023 STATE OR LOCAL REFUND TAXABLE?

 

If you used standard deduction for your 2023 tax return, you do not have to enter a state or local tax refund you received in 2024.   If you itemized deductions then your state or local refund that you claimed on the 2023 return----and received in 2024---must be entered as taxable income on your 2024 return.  If you  are not sure if you itemized for 2023, look at your 2023 Form 1040 line 12.   Do you see the standard deduction amount or something else?

 

2023 STANDARD DEDUCTION AMOUNTS

 

SINGLE $13,850  (65 or older/legally blind + $1850) 

 

MARRIED FILING SEPARATELY $13,850  (65 or older/legally blind + $1500)

 

 MARRIED FILING JOINTLY $27,700  (65+/legally blind) )  + $1500 per spouse

 

 HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD  $20,800 (65 or older/blind)  + $1850)

 

If you need to enter a state or local refund Go to Federal>Wages & Income>1099-Misc and Other Common Income>State and Local Tax Refunds on Form 1099-G

**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.**
MonikaK1
Expert Alumni

Taxes on state refunds Received

A state tax refund from filing the prior year's taxes would only be taxable to the extent there was a tax benefit - i.e., you took an itemized deduction for taxes paid. 

 

If you are entering a state tax refund received in 2024 as income and reported on Form 1099-G, TurboTax will ask how much you deducted for state and local taxes in 2023 (line 5 from Schedule A).

 

For "total of all your payments and withholdings", enter payments for the state for which you received the refund. If you received refunds from more than one state, enter each one separately in TurboTax and report payments associated with that state. Use the link to Add another state or local tax refund.

 

Under the entry field, "Total of all your payments and withholding", a link appears, "What does this include?". The text at that link explains:

 

Add up any payments you made to your state or locality, along with any state or locality withholdings from the previous tax year (in this case, 2023), including:

 

 - Amounts withheld on your W-2, W-2G, and 1099

 - Estimated tax payments for 2023 (including any paid in 2024 for 2023 - it's common for the fourth quarterly payment to be made in January)

 - Overpayment from 2022 applied toward your 2023 return

 - Payments made with an extension of time to file

 - Refundable credits

 

You can find most of this info on your 2023 state tax return. Do not include balance-due payments made with (or after) filing a return. Enter the total amount of all of these combined here.

 

See this help article for more information on entering the form.

 

See this article for more information about Form 1099-G.

 

See this TurboTax help article for more information about whether you need to report your state tax refund from last year as income.

 

@sbilgrami 

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