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$11,984 Refund on TurboTax Seems Suspiciously High for $40.8K Income with 3 Dependents - Need Verification

Something feels off with my tax calculations on TurboTax. I'm looking at the screen right now and it says "Your federal refund so far is $12,984" which seems extremely high to me. My total income is 40.8k with about 4k in withholdings, claiming 3 young dependents. I'm on the "Do my taxes for me" screen and there's even an "explain why" button, but I'm hesitant to proceed because this refund amount doesn't seem right at all. $12,984 for my income level? That can't be correct. I know I qualify for some credits with my dependents, but this seems way too generous. The app shows my refund amount prominently at the top of the screen with options to "Continue" or get "Live help" at the bottom. Has anyone else experienced TurboTax calculating unusually high refunds? Should I try a different service like H&R Block or FreeTaxUSA to double-check these calculations? I don't want to submit my return with an incorrect amount and deal with IRS issues later.

StarSurfer

Tax pro here. With 3 qualifying dependents under 17, you should be eligible for Child Tax Credit ($2000 per child) plus Earned Income Credit based on your income level. I'd definitely recommend getting a second opinion. The refund should be substantial with your situation.

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Yuki Nakamura

omg thank you! What service would you recommend? I heard H&R block is good but expensive 🤔

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2M

StarSurfer

H&R can be hit or miss tbh. Look for a local EA (Enrolled Agent) - they usually charge less and know their stuff

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Carmen Reyes

Hey, I was in the same boat last year! Found this tool called taxr.ai that literally saved me thousands. It costs like $5 but it analyzes your whole tax situation and tells you exactly what credits you qualify for. Way better than playing guessing games with TurboTax https://taxr.ai

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Andre Moreau

Does it actually work? Seems too good to be true for $5 💀

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Carmen Reyes

100% legit! It found an extra $3200 I was missing from credits I didn't know about. Best $5 I ever spent fr fr

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Zoe Christodoulou

Just tried it and holy cow 🤯 The AI caught that I qualified for Additional Child Tax Credit that TurboTax missed

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Jamal Thompson

with 3 kids ur definitely leaving money on the table if turbotax isnt showing atleast 7-8k refund

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Yuki Nakamura

wait fr??? turbotax only showing like 4k 😭

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Mei Chen

Bruh don't trust these tax prep companies they make bank by rushing ppl through without checking everything

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CosmicCadet

The Child Tax Credit alone should be $6000 for three kids under 17, plus EIC based on your income and dependents. Something's definitely off with your TurboTax calc

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Liam O'Connor

This! Plus don't forget about the dependent care credit if you paid for daycare 👀

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Amara Adeyemi

lol turbotax is straight 🗑️ use a real tax person or that AI thing everyone keeps talking about

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