Do I need to report the state or local refund I got last year? Is it taxable?
Yes, report last year’s state or local tax refund, and we’ll figure out if it’s taxable or not.
If all three of the following are true, your refund counts as taxable income:
You itemized deductions last year, instead of taking the standard deduction.
You claimed state and local income taxes (not general sales taxes).
Claiming the deduction helped you increase your federal refund or lower your tax bill.
Even when your refund is taxable, it may not be the entire amount. It depends on how much the deduction affected your refund or tax bill. Just answer a few simple questions about last year’s refund, and we’ll calculate the taxable amount for you.
Where do I find last year's state/local refund so I can report it on this year's taxes?
You'll need info on last year’s AGI or accessing a prior year return.
If you transferred last year’s tax data to this year's return, your state and local refunds are automatically brought over with your other tax info.
Alternatively, your state/locality may have sent you a 1099-G form (if they haven’t gone paperless). You should receive your 1099-G by mid-February if your state/locality still sends out paper forms. If you did get a 1099-G, make sure it's for a state/local tax refund, not unemployment compensation.
Here are some other places you might find the amount of last year’s state/local refund:
Last year's state tax return
Your bank statement showing your entire state/locality refund
Your state tax agency (for state refunds) or municipality (for local refunds)
How do I report last year's state or local refund without a 1099-G?
If you know last year's refund amount, you don't need a 1099-G. Choose your product and follow the steps to enter last year’s refund amount.
TurboTax Online
Go to the Other Common Income screen under Income in the Federal section.
On the Did you have any of these types of income? screen, select Yes.
On the State and local tax refunds and other government payments screen, select the applicable check box(es) and select Continue.
TurboTax Desktop
Open or continue your return.
Select Federal Taxes and navigate to Wages & Income.
Select Visit All next to 1099-MISC and Other Common Income and follow the instructions to enter your refund amount.
