Why would it show I'm getting a total refund of what I paid in?

[JulieS · Accepted solution]

Yes, it's possible to get a refund of 100% of the amount you paid in, but you should review your return carefully before you file it. 

Without looking at your tax return, it's not possible to tell you exactly why you are getting all of your tax withheld refunded, but here are some possibilities:

1. Your income was lower than your standard or itemized deductions.
2. You had enough tax credits to offset all of the taxes you would have owed.
3. You have credits for dependents that offset your otherwise taxable income.

You can use Intuit's Tax Experts to review your tax return by selecting that option in the program, or if you want to do it yourself, this is how to look at your return before filing.

If you are using TurboTax Online and you just want to review the 1040, this is how to see it before paying:

1. Open your return.
2. Select Tax Tools from the left-side menu, then Tools.
3. Select View Tax Summary in the pop-up box.
4. Select Preview my 1040 from the left-side menu.
5. You will see the Form 1040 with Schedules 1, 2 and 3.
6. When you are done, select Back from the left-side menu. 

If you want to see the complete return, with all forms and schedules, you can see it after you have paid for the return, but before you submit it for filing. This is how to do that:

1. Open your return.
2. Select Tax Tools from the left-side menu, then Print Center.
3. Select Print, save or preview this year's return at the bottom of the screen. 
4. Select Pay Now on the next screen and follow the prompts to pay and print or save a copy of the return. 

With either method, you can make any needed changes to your return as long as you haven't submitted it for e-file. 

If you are using TurboTax Desktop  (from a disc or download), select Forms in the upper right corner to see your complete return.