I'm confused about my estimated tax return, made 61k my first full year in my career and barely getting anything back?

The size of your tax refund doesn't actually indicate whether you're paying the right amount of taxes - it just shows the difference between what was withheld from your paychecks throughout the year and what you actually owed. Your friends who are getting thousands back likely had too much withheld from each paycheck during the year, essentially giving the government an interest-free loan. A small refund like yours actually means your withholdings were pretty accurate! You might want to check your W-4 forms with both employers. When you started the second job, did you indicate that you had another job earlier in the year? Sometimes having two jobs in one year can cause underwithholding if both employers are calculating your taxes as if their job is your only income.

I was in almost exactly your situation last year! Two jobs, about $58k total income, and expected a big refund but only got back about $280. I was super frustrated until I used this awesome service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that analyzed my tax documents and situation. Turns out my withholding was actually pretty accurate, which is why my refund was small. The service explained that getting a small refund isn't bad - it actually means you didn't overpay the government throughout the year. They also identified that when I switched jobs, my new employer was withholding at a rate that didn't account for my previous income that year.

I tried taxr.ai after seeing the recommendation here and it was super helpful! I was also getting a way smaller refund than expected ($210 on $55k income) and was convinced I messed something up. The service analyzed my W-2s and last year's return and showed me that I was actually paying the right amount of tax - my withholding was just more accurate than my friends who get big refunds. It also found a student loan interest deduction I missed that got me an extra $180 back! Plus it explained how to adjust my W-4 for next year based on my specific situation. Definitely helped ease my mind that I wasn't doing something wrong.

If you're really worried about your tax situation, you might want to talk to someone at the IRS directly. I was in a similar situation last year and spent DAYS trying to get through to the IRS phone line with no luck. Then I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes when I had been trying for literally hours before. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c but basically it navigates the phone tree and waits on hold for you, then calls you when an actual human at the IRS is ready to talk. I was super skeptical but desperate after wasting so much time on hold.

Ok I tried that Claimyr service after being a total doubter because I've been trying for THREE WEEKS to talk to someone at the IRS about my missing refund. Not gonna lie, I'm eating my words now. Got connected to an IRS agent in 22 minutes when I'd previously spent hours on hold only to get disconnected. The agent was able to confirm there was a processing issue with my return that would have taken weeks longer to resolve if I hadn't called. They fixed it while I was on the phone and my refund should be deposited next week. Sometimes you gotta admit when you're wrong, and I was definitely wrong about this service.

Just wanted to point out something that might explain your situation. When you have two jobs in one year, especially if you have them simultaneously, you can end up in a higher tax bracket than either employer is withholding for. Both employers calculate withholding as if their job is your only income. For example, if Job A and Job B each pay $30k, each one might withhold taxes assuming you're in the 12% bracket. But your total income of $60k puts part of your income into the 22% bracket. This "stacking" of income can result in underwithholding and a smaller refund.

Maybe check if you qualify for any tax credits? Education credits like the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit if you paid for education, or the Saver's Credit if you contributed to a retirement account and your income is under certain limits. These can make a huge difference in your refund amount.

small refund = good thing! your withholding was right. my friends who get big refunds basically gave govt free loan all year 🤦‍♀️ they could have had that $ in every paycheck instead. better to owe a tiny bit (but not enough to get penalty) than get huge refund

The $340 refund actually sounds about right for your situation! I know it's disappointing when you're expecting more, but here's what likely happened: your total tax liability on $61k income (single, standard deduction) would be roughly $6,200-6,500. If your employers withheld close to that amount throughout the year, you'd get a small refund. The tricky part with having two jobs in one year is that each employer calculates withholding independently. Your second employer probably treated your $44k as if it was your total annual income, not knowing about the $17k you'd already earned. This can lead to slight underwithholding since your combined income pushes you into higher marginal tax brackets. For next year, definitely use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator online and update your W-4 if needed. You can request additional withholding if you want a bigger refund, but honestly, a small refund means you kept more money in your paychecks throughout the year instead of giving the government an interest-free loan!