Is it possible to get back more tax refund than I paid in taxes?
So I'm pregnant with my first child due in September and I just did something on the IRS tax withholding calculator that's making me question everything. According to their website, I'm apparently going to get a $9,000 refund even though I've only paid about $2,700 in taxes this year so far?? I put in all my info accurately - I'm only making around $15,000 this year total since I'm stopping work in mid-July before the baby comes. I don't have any special adjustments to my taxes, and the only tax credit I included was for my baby that's coming. I've barely withheld anything from my paychecks up to this point. Can someone explain how this is possible? Can you actually get back MORE than you paid in? The calculator is from the official IRS website, so it should be accurate, but I'm honestly in shock looking at that number. I don't want to start planning for a huge refund if this is just some kind of glitch. Has anyone else experienced this before?
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Sophia Carter
What you're seeing is likely accurate and not a glitch! This is because of refundable tax credits, particularly the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). These credits are designed specifically to help lower-income working families, especially those with children. The EITC is fully refundable, meaning you can receive it even if you owe no taxes. With your income level around $15,000 and a new child, you would qualify for a substantial EITC. For 2024 (filing in 2025), the maximum EITC for a taxpayer with one child is around $3,995. Additionally, the Child Tax Credit is partially refundable through the Additional Child Tax Credit. For 2024, the Child Tax Credit is $2,000 per qualifying child, with up to $1,600 potentially refundable. There are also other possible credits like the Child and Dependent Care Credit that might apply to your situation once the baby arrives.
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Aaron Boston
•Wait so that means I could actually receive that $9,000 refund amount? I honestly thought it was just wrong because I didn't think you could get back more than you paid in. Does the EITC really give that much back? Also, would I qualify for the Child Tax Credit even though my baby won't be born until September? I thought maybe you had to have the baby for the full year to claim them.
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Sophia Carter
•Yes, you could absolutely receive a refund larger than what you paid in taxes! The EITC was specifically designed this way to provide financial support to working individuals with moderate to low incomes, especially those with children. At your income level with one child, you'd qualify for a substantial EITC amount. For the Child Tax Credit, your baby only needs to be born by December 31st to claim them for the entire tax year. As long as your child is born in September, you can claim them as a dependent and receive the full Child Tax Credit when you file your 2024 taxes in 2025.
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Chloe Zhang
After struggling with similar tax confusion last year, I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that actually explains all your tax documents in plain English. When I was pregnant with my second kid, I was totally confused about how much I'd get back and if I qualified for all these credits. The IRS calculator is accurate, but it doesn't really explain WHY you're getting that much back. Taxr.ai helped me understand exactly which credits I qualified for and how they were calculated. I just uploaded my stuff and it broke everything down - showed me why I was getting back way more than I paid in (which sounds exactly like your situation).
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Brandon Parker
•How does this actually work? Do you have to give them all your financial info? I'm really paranoid about security since my cousin had her identity stolen last year after using some random tax site.
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Adriana Cohn
•Sounds like an ad tbh. Does it actually calculate your refund or just explain the forms? Because the IRS calculator already tells me my refund amount, I just need to know if I can trust what it says.
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Chloe Zhang
•The way it works is you just upload your tax documents - like W-2s, 1099s, or previous returns - and their AI reads them and explains everything in normal language. They use bank-level encryption and don't store your docs after analysis, so it's actually really secure. It doesn't replace the IRS calculator, it just helps you understand why you're getting specific amounts and what credits you qualify for. In my case, I uploaded my pay stubs and previous return, and it showed me exactly why I was getting back more than I paid in - broke down each credit and deduction in plain English instead of tax jargon.
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Adriana Cohn
I was skeptical about taxr.ai at first but after using it I totally get what's happening with my taxes now. I was in almost the same situation last year - only made about $17,000 and got back nearly $8,500 even though I only paid in like $3,000 in taxes. The tool showed me it was because of the Earned Income Credit mostly, plus part of the Child Tax Credit being refundable. I never understood how I could get back more than I paid until I saw it all broken down. The IRS calculator is right, but seeing WHY made me finally understand the whole system.
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Jace Caspullo
If you're still confused about your potential refund, you might want to talk directly with the IRS. I had a similar situation last year and spent WEEKS trying to get through to them. I finally found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I spoke with confirmed that yes, with my income level and a child, I was eligible for refundable credits that exceeded what I paid in. They walked me through exactly how the EITC worked and why my refund was so high. Totally worth it for the peace of mind of hearing it directly from the IRS.
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Melody Miles
•How does this even work? I thought it was literally impossible to get through to the IRS these days. My brother said he was on hold for 3+ hours last month and never got through.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•Yeah right. No way this actually works. The IRS phone system is designed to keep you on hold until you give up. I'll believe this works when I see it because I've tried EVERYTHING to get through.
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Jace Caspullo
•It uses a system that navigates the IRS phone menu for you and holds your place in line. When they get an agent, they call you and connect you directly to that agent. It's basically like having someone wait on hold for you so you don't have to waste hours with your phone stuck on speaker. I was super skeptical too! I had tried calling the IRS four different times and gave up after 1-2 hours each time. But with this, I got a call back when an agent was ready to talk, and I got immediate answers about my refundable credits situation. The whole thing took maybe 20 minutes of my actual time instead of hours on hold.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
I'm actually shocked this worked. Used Claimyr yesterday after seeing this post because I had almost the same question as OP about getting back more than I paid in. Got through to an IRS rep in about 25 minutes. The agent confirmed everything - said with my income and a new baby, I'm getting nearly $7,200 back despite only paying in about $3,100. Turns out the Earned Income Credit is the main reason, plus the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit. She walked me through my entire situation and even helped me adjust my W-4 for the rest of the year. Never thought I'd say this, but talking to the actual IRS was super helpful. No more guessing if the calculator is right.
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Eva St. Cyr
Just a heads up - make sure you keep all your medical receipts from the birth too! You might be able to deduct medical expenses if they exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. With your income being on the lower side, that threshold would be easier to meet. Also, don't forget you might qualify for the Premium Tax Credit if you got health insurance through the marketplace. That's another refundable credit that could add to your refund.
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Kristian Bishop
•Does the medical expense deduction really matter if she's probably taking the standard deduction though? I thought you had to itemize to claim medical expenses.
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Eva St. Cyr
•You're absolutely right - I should have clarified that. To deduct medical expenses, you would need to itemize your deductions instead of taking the standard deduction. For most people with incomes around $15,000, the standard deduction (which is $13,850 for single filers in 2024) would be more beneficial than itemizing. In this case, focusing on the refundable credits like EITC and Child Tax Credit will likely be more valuable than trying to itemize medical expenses.
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Kaitlyn Otto
Make sure u update ur W-4 after the baby is born!! I made the mistake of not doing this and was getting way less in my paychecks than I should have. The IRS has an option specifically for reporting a new baby/dependent.
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Axel Far
•Is it better to update your W-4 right away or just wait and get it all back at tax time? I'm expecting in December and wondering if it's even worth bothering for just a couple weeks of the year.
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Reina Salazar
Yes, you can absolutely get back more than you paid in taxes! This is totally normal and legal through refundable tax credits. The big ones for your situation are the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit. With your income around $15,000 and a baby coming, you'll likely qualify for a substantial EITC - potentially around $3,995 for one child. Plus up to $1,600 from the refundable portion of the Child Tax Credit. Since your baby will be born by December 31st, you can claim them for the entire 2024 tax year. These credits were specifically designed to help working families with lower to moderate incomes, so getting back $9,000 when you only paid in $2,700 is exactly how the system is supposed to work. The IRS calculator is accurate - you're not seeing a glitch, you're seeing the safety net in action! Just make sure to keep all your documentation and file accurately. Congratulations on your upcoming arrival!
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Carmen Lopez
•This is really helpful! I'm new to understanding how taxes work and had no idea that refundable credits even existed. So just to make sure I understand - these aren't like loopholes or anything sketchy, they're actually government programs designed to help people in situations like mine? The whole concept of getting money back that I didn't pay in seems too good to be true, but if multiple people are saying this is normal then I guess I should trust the IRS calculator. Thanks for breaking it down so clearly!
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