Why has my return gone down so drastically over the past three years?

[rjs]

Your return didn't go down. Your refund went down. Your tax return is the form you send to the government that shows your income and calculates your tax. The money the government sends back to you is your refund.

We can't see your tax returns and we don't know anything about your tax situation. To figure out what's happening you have to compare your tax returns from year to year, line by line, to see where the significant changes are.

[MonikaK1]

It depends. Whether you will receive a refund for tax year 2023 and how much depends largely on whether you made estimated tax payments or had taxes withheld from wages or pensions during the year, whether your income increased, or whether you are no longer eligible for credits you claimed in prior years.

This year, several tax credits have been lowered to amounts before the coronavirus pandemic—or eliminated. This includes the Child Tax Credit, the Child and Dependent Care Credit, and more. Check if these 2023 changes are why you see a lower refund for this year.

Double-check your entries for income, taxes paid, and deductions to confirm they are correct. Compare the individual line items with last year's return as well, if applicable.

See this help article for more information about changes that can affect your refund.

You can preview your return before filing to find out how your taxes were calculated and to see the forms TurboTax has prepared from your entries. See here for details. 

@brown_sarachapin