Can I check an estimate of my tax refund amount before filing? Planning for my 2025 budget

I'm trying to figure out how much I might get back on my taxes before I actually file them. Just looking to get a ballpark number so I can plan better for my budget - thinking about putting some in savings and using some for a few things I've been putting off buying. Anyone know if there's a way to calculate this without going through the whole filing process? I don't want to actually submit anything yet, just want to get an idea of what I might be looking at for a refund. Thanks!

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18 comments

Nia Thompson

•8M

Yes, you can definitely estimate your refund before filing! The easiest way is to use the free tax estimator tools offered by most tax software companies. TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct, and others all have calculators on their websites where you can input your info without creating an account or filing. The most accurate estimate will come from gathering all your documents first - your W-2s, 1099s, mortgage interest statements, etc. You'll need to know your filing status, dependents, and major deductions like student loan interest or charitable donations. You can also go through the entire tax preparation process with any tax software and see your refund amount before you actually file. Most software will show your expected refund updating in real-time as you enter information.

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Nia Thompson

•8M

Most reputable tax calculators do use current year tax information, but they're only as accurate as the information you put in. If you left out some income or forgot about a deduction when using the estimator, that would explain the difference. Another possibility is that some free calculators are simplified versions that don't account for every tax situation. For the most accurate estimate, I'd recommend going through a full tax preparation software without submitting. That way you'll capture all the details that might affect your refund.

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GalaxyGuardian

•8M

When I was stressing about my tax situation last year, I found this tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that really helped me figure out my potential refund. You can upload your tax documents like W-2s and 1099s, and it analyzes them to give you a pretty accurate estimate before you file. What I liked was that I could play around with different scenarios - like if I contributed more to my IRA or took an additional deduction - to see how it would affect my refund.

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GalaxyGuardian

•8M

For self-employed situations with multiple income streams, it handles them really well. You can upload all your 1099s and it factors in self-employment tax calculations too. I've found it especially helpful for figuring out estimated quarterly payments when you have variable income. Regarding security, I was concerned about that too initially. They use bank-level encryption and don't store your documents after analysis. You can also manually enter information instead of uploading if you prefer. I researched them pretty thoroughly before using the service since I'm paranoid about my financial info.

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Aisha Abdullah

•8M

Just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai that I asked about earlier. I decided to give it a try with my complicated tax situation (self-employment plus rental income), and I'm actually impressed. It gave me a refund estimate that seemed realistic based on my past returns, and I was able to see how changing my retirement contributions would affect things. Definitely worth checking out if you want to plan ahead for your refund like the original poster was asking about.

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Yuki Tanaka

•8M

If you're waiting for your refund and can't get through to the IRS (which is basically ALWAYS), I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I tried calling the IRS for weeks about last year's refund and kept getting the "call volume too high" message. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes! You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c My refund was delayed because of a simple mismatch they could have easily fixed if I could just talk to someone. Once I finally got through with Claimyr, the agent resolved it in like 5 minutes, and my refund was processed the next week.

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Yuki Tanaka

•8M

They basically use an automated system that calls the IRS repeatedly using their algorithm until they get through, then they call you and connect you directly to the IRS agent. It's not magic - just technology solving a really frustrating problem. Definitely not a scam. I was skeptical too, but it literally saved me weeks of frustration. They don't access any of your tax info - they just connect the call. You talk directly to the IRS yourself, so it's completely secure.

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Ethan Wilson

•8M

Well I need to eat my words about Claimyr that I commented on above. After spending THREE HOURS yesterday trying to get through to the IRS about my missing refund, I broke down and tried it. Got connected to an actual IRS agent in about 35 minutes. Turns out there was a simple verification issue with my account that was holding up my refund. The agent fixed it while I was on the phone, and now my refund should be processed within 2 weeks. I hate that I had to use a service to reach a government agency, but it honestly saved me so much time and frustration.

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Andre Laurent

•8M

No, you don't have to pay twice. With most tax software, you only pay when you actually file. You can go through the entire process, see your refund amount, and then just save your progress. When you're ready to file for real, you just pick up where you left off and submit. Some software even lets you create multiple scenarios without charging you. I've done this with TurboTax where I tried different filing statuses to see which gave a better refund before deciding which one to actually use.

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