Why do I have to pay federal taxes

[Vanessa A]

You would owe taxes because you did not make quarterly payments or have enough withheld to cover your tax liability. 

Look at line 15 of your return.  This would be your taxable income after your standard deduction.  

Line 16 will show the tax that should have been paid throughout the year on that amount.

Line 33 will show your total payments made.

Assuming you have no credits or other deductions, if line 16 is higher than line 33, then you would owe taxes. 

[xmasbaby0]

We cannot see your screen, your return or your account.  Have you entered ALL of your 2024 information?  All your income, etc.?  

There are a lot of variables that affect your refund or tax due including how much you earned, how much tax you had withheld, your filing status, the number of dependents you claim, your deductions and credits, etc.  You may have lost Earned Income Credit or the Child Tax Credit— did a child turn 17?  If you received the EIC last year, remember that changes in the amount you earn have a big effect on the amount of EIC you can get. (Sometimes earning more money means less EIC)  Are you 65 or older ?  If so, your standard deduction is higher. Everyone has a higher standard deduction now so it is harder to use itemized deductions.

And of course, always check your own data entries, looking for errors such as misplaced decimals or extra zeros.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-refund/refund-go-compared-last-year/...

Print out 2023  and 2024  and compare them side by side to see what is different. 

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/tax-payments/video-why-would-i-owe-federal-taxes/L3VXudPiN