Why is it saying I only get 159$ back on my state return when I paid thousands of dollars of state

[rjs]

You don't get back all of the tax that you pay. The state tax that you have to pay for the year is thousands of dollars. The amount you paid during the year is $159 more than your total tax for the year, so you get back the extra $159 that you paid.

[SweetieJean]

Federal and state tax laws differ (and differ from state to state).  Some states have few deductions/credits, so your withholding might be close to what you owe.