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New Member
posted Jun 6, 2019 12:58:00 AM

Why does it say I have to send a check for state taxes owed when turbo tax took it out of the federal taxes on here?

0 6 719
6 Replies
Level 15
Jun 6, 2019 12:58:02 AM


Your state tax due cannot be paid from your federal refund. 

It is not possible to pay your state tax due from your federal refund, nor is it possible to pay a federal tax due from a state refund.  The federal and state treasuries are completely separate from each other.  You may have seen a TurboTax summary of your federal and state amounts that confused you into thinking one was “paying” the other.  It is not.  If you have federal tax due you can pay by mailing your payment, having the payment taken out of a designated bank account, or you can pay directly on the IRS website.  You must pay your state tax due using the state’s preferred method of receiving payment.  For most states that will be by making a payment to the state’s own tax website, or by mailing a check or money order.


Level 15
Jun 6, 2019 12:58:04 AM

TurboTax did not and can not pay your state taxes from your federal refund. The only thing that TurboTax may have paid from your federal refund would have been the TurboTax fees. You must arrange to pay your state taxes separately. 

Level 15
Jun 6, 2019 12:58:05 AM

TT shows you the net effect just FYI.

New Member
Jun 6, 2019 12:58:07 AM

Thank you for your answer. It def helped but I had spoken to a rep from turbo tax and she said that’s why my refund was less at the end then what it is supposed to say. She said it was because I owed the state. (Like she was saying they took out the money I owed to the state from my federal) and now they won’t allow me to have a callback unless I upgrade.

New Member
Jun 6, 2019 12:58:08 AM

Also I didn’t choose to have any services from turbo tax so it’s not deducted from that.

Level 15
Jun 6, 2019 12:58:10 AM

If your federal refund was less than the amount shown on form 1040 line 19 and you had no TurboTax fees deducted from your refund, then the IRS adjusted your refund for some reason. You should receive a notice within a couple of weeks explaining the reason for the adjustments and what course of action you can take if you disagree.