The most likely reason for the lower refund with higher income is your tax bracket changed. The more money you make the higher your tax bracket in most cases unless you have new qualifying deductions. You can read some of this information on the IRS website. A very informative publication is Business Insider.
If you paid just enough taxes through withholding to cover your tax bill then you will get zero refunded. If you had zero withheld and your tax bill is zero then you will not have a refund either. You can check your W2 Box 2 information for withholding.
Claiming 0 allowances means that too much money will be withheld by the IRS. The allowances you can claim vary from situation to situation. If you are married with a kid, you can claim up to three allowances. If you want a higher tax return, you can claim 0 allowances.
If a taxpayer refund isn't what is expected, it may be due to changes made by the IRS. These changes could include corrections to the Child Tax Credit or EITC amounts or an offset from all or part of the refund amount to pay past-due tax or debts. More information about reduced refunds is available on IRS.gov.
If you didn't get a notice about an offset but your tax refund is smaller than you expected, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 (or TTY/TDD 800-877-8339).
If you didn't account for each job across your W-4s, you may not have withheld enough, so your tax refund could be less than expected in 2025. Or, if you had a salary increase in 2024 but didn't update your tax withholding accordingly, you could receive a smaller refund.
By placing a “0” on line 5, you are indicating that you want the most amount of tax taken out of your pay each pay period. If you wish to claim 1 for yourself instead, then less tax is taken out of your pay each pay period.
Married filing jointly is the most common filing status for married couples. This status has the highest standard deduction and some of the most beneficial tax rate brackets. You file together and report combined income, along with your combined deductions and qualifying credits on the same return.
The Department of Community Services and Development encourages Californians earning under $30,000 a year to file their taxes to claim the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC), a cash-back tax credit, and receive a larger tax refund.
This can be due to withholding more tax than you owe from your regular paychecks or overestimating your self-employment taxes. Qualifying for a refundable tax credit may also contribute to your refund amount. When a refundable credit amount exceeds the tax you owe, you receive the leftover credit as a refund.
Advice from financial experts backs up what may sound counterintuitive: Smaller is usually better. Instead of a joyous windfall from Uncle Sam, a tax refund, they say, represents an interest-free loan that you've given the federal government.
The amount of tax withheld from your pay depends on what you earn each pay period. It also depends on what information you gave your employer on Form W-4 when you started working. This information, like your filing status, can affect the tax rate used to calculate your withholding.
If you owe money to a federal or state agency, the federal government may use part or all of your federal tax refund to repay the debt. This is called a tax refund offset. If your tax refund is lower than you calculated, it may be due to a tax refund offset for an unpaid debt such as child support.
Sometimes, you'll receive a refund that's either more or less than you expected. Common reasons include changes to a tax return or a payment of past due federal or state debts.
BFS will send you a notice if an offset occurs. The notice will reflect the original refund amount, your offset amount, the agency receiving the payment, and the address and telephone number of the agency. BFS will notify the IRS of the amount taken from your refund once your refund date has passed.
There are many events that may reduce your refund, including: Starting an additional job (especially self-employment) Getting a significant raise, but your W-4 staying the same. Selling stock, crypto, or other investments.
The lingering impacts of the pandemic, including changes in income sources, tax relief expirations, and new legislation, have all contributed to changes in tax liability. These factors might explain why you owe taxes in 2024.
You can still file a tax return if you have little or no income. If you are due a tax refund, you must file a return to claim it. Even if you did not earn income, there are tax credits and deductions you may be eligible to claim.
For the 2022 tax year, the gross income threshold for filing taxes varies depending on your age, filing status, and dependents. Generally, the threshold ranges between $12,550 and $28,500. If your income falls below these amounts, you may not be required to file a tax return.