Turbo Tax Deluxe Issue - Resets Federal Refund Amount to $0

[heavensclone1]

Last year, I used Turbo Tax Deluxe with hardly any problems.

This year, I purchased and installed the 2025 version of TurboTax Deluxe. My girlfriend does her Federal Single filing with it, and it shows her Federal refund amount (let's go ahead and call it $900). Near the end, she gets to a final check page and it resets her Federal refund to $0.  It would not revert back to the original amount going back in the process, either. She redid her whole filing process from scratch again, and it did the same thing.

Then, I tried it for my Federal Single filing. Different Windows computer. Installed TurboTax Deluxe. I get near the end as well, and at the same step, it resets my Federal refund to $0.

Finally, I try using TurboTax Online for my Federal Single filing. Absolutely no issues. It doesn't reset me down to $0 at all.  There is something bugged with TurboTax Deluxe, I believe. I had to double-pay; once for TurboTax Deluxe and once for the options on TurboTax Online (that will be something I'll deal with separately by emailing customer service).

Is this happening to anyone?


*Updated to fix wording based on first reply.
**Will work through the process again on TurboTax Deluxe to find the exact moment when this happens, then will post it in a new reply.

[mesquitebean]

Customer Service doesn't use email, but we can tell you how to ask for a refund for one of the products if you have paid twice.

By resetting your "return amount" are you referring to a Federal refund?   A "return amount" could also be taxes due.   I suspect you meant to say refund amount changed to $0, but you should clarify.

The desktop Deluxe has the advantage of being able to view forms at any time and also to print at any time.  In spite of what you were seeing on screen, did you look at the forms?  Were the figures correct on the viewed or printed copy of your Form 1040?   Or was the Form 1040 itself also incorrect and showed the $0 figure on Line 34?

Where exactly were you seeing that the Federal refund reverted to $0 at the end for each of your returns?   Was that in the refund meter at the top of the TurboTax screen, or was it something shown on the screen as you advanced, i.e., on some kind of summary page after the error check?   If it was something on a summary screen, can you explain more about what screen it was?  Some of the summary screens can sometimes be confusing as to how they display their info.

Or you can post a screen shot here in this thread, but if you do, be aware that this is a PUBLIC Internet forum, so be sure you carefully redact anything that is personal info from the image.

If it turns out that it can't be easily explained, the TurboTax Employee Experts who post in this forum may ask you for a diagnostic copy of one of those return files.   When the program sends a diagnostic copy, it scrubs out the personal information from the return and sends just the figures so they can troubleshoot.  Then it provides a token number for you to post here for the expert.  That token allows them access to the scrubbed file you sent them.  Don't do it unless/until they ask for it.  If they need one, they'll tell you how.

[user17722267598]

I am having the exact same issue as the original poster. It is DEFINITELY a serious bug in TurboTax Deluxe 2025.

The problem occurs during the final REVIEW.

Here is a screenshot of my refund on the analysis tab:

Then I continue on to the Audit Protection tab and as you can see the Refund resets to 0.

Going back doesn't help as you can see here: Once the damage is done there no fixing it.

The 1040 form data is damaged during this bug. The "total tax" line 24 is changed to a bogus number that messes up the Refund calculation. I am updated to the latest TurboTax version as of today, 2/27/2026.

[MarilynG1]

Click the ONLINE menu at the top and select 'Send Tax File to Agent'.  This will create a scrubbed copy of your file that can be reviewed for the issue you are having.  

You will receive a Token Number that you can post here.  

@user17722267598 

[heavensclone1]

I went through my Federal taxes again, and I submitted the scrubbed tax form.  The token is:
9 0 5 9 9 7 8 0 6 2 2 1 7 2 1 1 - 0 9 0 3 3 1 1 8 (I have to space it out because the forum keeps removing the numbers).

What does the follow-up process look like for this? I have to also created a Mock "AS-IS" Federal and a Married Filing Jointly State to mail in with it, but I don't want to start it if the software is bugged and gives us bogus numbers.

One thing I noticed was that after it reset my refund to $0, a later page said I needed to redo my filing status (apparently it didn't keep Single). I changed it to Single again, the refund went back to the original amount, but then shortly dropped back to $0 again.

[MarilynG1]

The first thing that popped up when I opened your return is an error on the Federal Information Worksheet for no Filing Status Indicated.  I checked 'Single' on the form, and then went to 'My Info' and saw that TurboTax had recommended this filing status for you.  The Refund Amount for both Federal and Oregon was then populated. I briefly looked at the Income/Deductions topic pages, and proceeded to Federal Review. A review error for 'Filing Status' came up and again, I checked the box for Single. 

Proceeding through the Final Review, no errors for Federal or for Oregon.  Since there was no amount filled in for Oregon Tax from 2024, I'm assuming you didn't transfer in a prior year return.  I 'skipped' the Audit Protection, and the Federal Refund amount changed to $0 on the next page, as you noted.  Going back to the Federal Information Worksheet,  I checked the Single box and the Refund amounts repopulated.  Why the 'Single' filing status isn't sticking on this Worksheet for you, I can't determine by reviewing your return. 

This is a strange behavior that hasn't been reported as needing investigation, but I'll send it to be looked at further. I'd recommend that you skip the Final Review, and go right to Efile to complete your tax return. Thank you for sending your tax file for us to review. 

@heavensclone1 

[JSunny]

I am having the exact same problem, and this is a SERIOUS error. When it happened the first time, I thought the issue was that I started online and imported to Desktop, and maybe something was funky with the import (I've used Desktop the last few years because of multiple tax returns for the whole household but for whatever reason I did a quick start online for mine). I ended up 100% redoing mine -- same issue, at the point where it asks for the Audit Protection (and by the way, will not let you refuse or say "don't ask again"), it "resets to zero" and suddenly finds the same filing status errors, no matter how many times you correct it.

Couldn't fix it or get it to show correctly -- every time I got to the "file federal return" it said zero, so I started a new one and did my husband's tax return, and the exact same thing happened. It has to be a bug in the software version because I've now drafted 3 different returns, had it happen with both "Single" and "Head of Household" filing status.

*Edit* to add that "skipping smart review" and trying to go straight to final review or efile DID NOT WORK.

Updating 03/04/2026 in case this helps anyone: I think the problem is with the "Smart Check". Today I opened Desktop Deluxe app, checked the status was correct under Personal Info, then went straight to the "File" tab, and was able to efile all returns as long as I didn't stray into the "Review" section. I didn't go back to or check any other sections, knowing that I had input everything yesterday. I downloaded copies before I transmitted and verified the filing status and the return $ were correct.