Do most people get a tax refund?
The IRS releases filing statistics at the end of each tax season. According to its statistics for the 2023 tax season—for the 2022 tax year—approximately 64% of tax returns filed and processed as of April 21, 2023 resulted in tax refunds. Here's everything you need to know about tax refunds in recent years.
You can expect to get a refund if you overpaid your taxes during the year. This generally happens when taxes are deducted from your paycheck every time you get paid by your employer.
If you've already paid more than what you will owe in taxes, you'll likely receive a refund. If you paid less, you may owe a balance.
| Rank | State | Percentage of taxpayers receiving a refund |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | California | 70% |
| 11 | Illinois | 78% |
| 12 | New Jersey | 74% |
| 13 | Louisiana | 81% |
When I file my tax returns for the 2021 tax year, I'm going to owe a little bit of money to the IRS. This isn't very common, as most people end up getting a refund that's worth a few thousand dollars each year.
If you make $50,000 a year living in the region of California, USA, you will be taxed $10,242. That means that your net pay will be $39,758 per year, or $3,313 per month.
If you make $100,000 a year living in the region of California, USA, you will be taxed $29,959. That means that your net pay will be $70,041 per year, or $5,837 per month.
If you make $15,000 a year living in the region of California, USA, you will be taxed $1,518. That means that your net pay will be $13,483 per year, or $1,124 per month.
- Consider your filing status. Believe it or not, your filing status can significantly impact your tax liability. ...
- Explore tax credits. Tax credits are a valuable source of tax savings. ...
- Make use of tax deductions. ...
- Take year-end tax moves.
| Income level | Average refund | % of income |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000 to $49,999 | $2,845.81 | 5.7% to 11.4% |
| $50,000 to $74,999 | $2,830.10 | 3.8% to 5.7% |
| $75,000 to $99,999 | $3,347.69 | 3.3% to 4.5% |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | $4,436.36 | 2.2% to 4.4% |
Why do most people get a tax refund?
Taxpayers receive a refund at the end of the year when they have too much money withheld. If you're self-employed, you get a tax refund when you overpay your estimated taxes. While you might consider this extra income to be free money, it's actually more like a loan that you made to the IRS without charging interest.
If you make $70,000 a year living in the region of California, USA, you will be taxed $17,665. That means that your net pay will be $52,335 per year, or $4,361 per month. Your average tax rate is 25.2% and your marginal tax rate is 41.0%.
Tax refunds for some taxpayers may be bigger in 2024 thanks to the inflation adjustments the Internal Revenue Service made to tax brackets implemented in 2023, along with increased standard deductions.
If you make $20,000 a year living in the region of California, USA, you will be taxed $2,687. That means that your net pay will be $17,313 per year, or $1,443 per month.
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.
If you make $80,000 a year living in the region of California, USA, you will be taxed $21,763. That means that your net pay will be $58,237 per year, or $4,853 per month.
If you make $65,000 a year living in the region of California, USA, you will be taxed $15,631. That means that your net pay will be $49,369 per year, or $4,114 per month.
So far in 2024, the average federal income tax refund is $3,145 — an increase of just under 6% from 2023. There's still more than a month before Tax Day but there's good reason to think 2024 refunds will be larger overall: To adjust for inflation, the IRS raised both the standard deduction and tax brackets about 7%.
You may be in line for a smaller tax refund this year if your income rose in 2023. Earning a lot of interest in a bank account could also lead to a smaller refund. A smaller refund isn't necessarily terrible, since it means you got paid sooner rather than loaning the IRS money for no good reason.
The Child Tax Credit is worth a maximum of $2,000 per qualifying child. Up to $1,500 is refundable.
Can I claim myself as a dependent?
You cannot claim yourself as a dependent on taxes. Dependency exemptions are applicable to your qualifying dependent children and qualifying dependent relatives only. You can, however, claim a personal exemption for yourself on your return. Personal exemptions are for you and your spouse.
$0 to $15,700. 10% of taxable income. $15,701 to $59,850. $1,570 plus 12% of the amount over $15,700.
| Tax rate | Single filers | Married filing separately |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $9,950 | $0 – $9,950 |
| 12% | $9,951 – $40,525 | $9,951 – $40,525 |
| 22% | $40,526 – $86,375 | $40,526 – $86,375 |
| 24% | $86,376 – $164,925 | $86,376 – $164,925 |
Claiming 1 on your tax return reduces withholdings with each paycheck, which means you make more money on a week-to-week basis. When you claim 0 allowances, the IRS withholds more money each paycheck but you get a larger tax return.
Identifying and claiming tax deductions will reduce your taxable income. Exploring tax credits can significantly increase tax refunds. Maximizing contributions to retirement accounts can increase tax benefits. Consider adjusting withholding to optimize tax refunds.
