Why do some people get much bigger tax refunds than others?

I'm honestly just frustrated and confused right now. I just finished my taxes and I'm only getting a little over $1,200 back as a single filer who claims 0 allowances on my W-4. Meanwhile my coworker who makes basically the same salary as me is getting almost $5k back! She's married filing jointly, and her husband only worked part of the year at a lower wage with fewer hours than we work. How is this fair at all?? I feel like the tax system is totally rigged against single people. And don't even get me started on the child tax credits! People with kids get THOUSANDS more in refunds. Like, you CHOSE to have children knowing they're expensive, why should the tax system reward that? I have two dogs that I spend money on too, but I don't get special dog tax credits! Seriously though, is there anything I can do to get more money back on my tax return next year? I feel like I'm doing something wrong when everyone else seems to get these huge refunds.

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18 comments

Sofia Gutierrez

•8M

The tax code definitely has different impacts depending on your filing status and family situation! What you're seeing is the result of several factors working together: First, married filing jointly often benefits from wider tax brackets than single filers, especially when one spouse earns significantly less (like your coworker's husband working part-year). This can put their combined income in a lower effective tax bracket. Second, withholding calculations work differently for different filing statuses. If you both claim 0 allowances, the married person might have more withheld proportionally throughout the year, leading to bigger refunds. Third, yes, the tax code does provide benefits for families with children through credits like the Child Tax Credit (currently up to $2,000 per qualifying child). This is a policy decision made by Congress. For getting a bigger refund yourself, you could look into tax-advantaged accounts like traditional IRAs or 401(k)s that lower your taxable income, check if you qualify for education credits, or see if you're eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit even without children.

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Sofia Gutierrez

•8M

You're absolutely right that a bigger refund means you overpaid throughout the year. Many financial advisors suggest adjusting your withholding to get more money in each paycheck rather than waiting for a large refund. The ideal situation is to break even or get a small refund when you file. There aren't really deductions specifically for single people that married people can't take. However, single filers can sometimes benefit more from certain deductions like student loan interest if their income is below the phase-out thresholds, while married couples might phase out faster due to combined incomes.

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StarSurfer

•8M

After struggling with similar frustrations about my tax refund compared to friends with kids, I finally found something that helped me understand my taxes better. I used https://taxr.ai to analyze my tax documents and it showed me exactly where I was missing potential deductions as a single filer. The tool highlighted several credits I never knew about and explained how my withholding was affecting my refund amount. What really helped was the personalized explanation of how marriage and child tax credits work compared to my situation, so I could actually understand the difference instead of just being mad about it.

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StarSurfer

•8M

It actually does find deductions regular software might miss. Unlike TurboTax which asks questions sequentially, this analyzes your entire tax situation holistically and identifies patterns that might qualify for lesser-known deductions or credits based on your specific circumstances. The main difference from regular tax software is it's not just a questionnaire - it actually analyzes your documents and explains WHY you're getting the refund amount you are. It shows what married couples and parents get that you don't, but also highlights opportunities specifically available to single filers that you might be overlooking.

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Ava Martinez

•8M

Just wanted to update everyone. I was the skeptical one who asked about taxr.ai being different from regular tax software. I actually tried it with my last year's returns and wow - it found over $800 in deductions I missed as a single filer! There was a education credit I qualified for but didn't claim (I'm taking night classes), plus some home office deductions I didn't realize I could take even though I sometimes work from home. It explained exactly why my married friends get bigger refunds too - seeing the actual tax bracket differences laid out made it way less frustrating. Definitely going to use this for my 2025 taxes next year!

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Zainab Abdulrahman

•8M

If you're frustrated about your refund, try calling the IRS directly to ask about specific deductions for single filers - but good luck getting through! I spent WEEKS trying to reach someone. The "hold time is 2-3 hours" message was the understatement of the year. I finally found https://claimyr.com and used their service which got me connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes! You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent walked me through several deductions I was missing as a single filer and explained exactly why my refund was smaller than my married coworkers. It was super helpful to talk to an actual human who could explain things in plain English instead of tax code!

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Zainab Abdulrahman

•8M

It uses a system that continuously redials and navigates the IRS phone tree until it gets a spot in the queue, then it calls you and connects you directly. It's completely legitimate - you're talking to actual IRS representatives, not third-party advisors. The reason it works is because their system can make hundreds of call attempts automatically while you go about your day, then only connect you once a human IRS agent is actually on the line. I was skeptical too, but I spoke directly with an official IRS representative who answered all my questions about specific single-filer deductions.

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Yara Elias

•8M

I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After waiting on hold with the IRS for 3+ hours and getting disconnected TWICE, I gave in and tried Claimyr out of desperation. Holy crap it actually works! I got connected to a real IRS agent in about 20 minutes. The agent explained exactly why my married friends get bigger refunds (something about "marriage bonuses" in the tax code when one spouse earns significantly less) and walked me through some deductions I'd been missing as a single filer. He even helped me understand how I could adjust my W-4 withholding to get more money in each paycheck instead of waiting for a refund. Definitely worth it when you need actual answers from the source instead of internet opinions.

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QuantumQuasar

•8M

Don't forget that getting a bigger refund isn't necessarily a good thing! It means you've been giving the government an interest-free loan all year. I'm single too, but I adjusted my W-4 to withhold just the right amount so I get more in each paycheck. Your coworker might be getting a bigger refund because her and her husband had too much withheld throughout the year. Try using the IRS withholding calculator to optimize your own withholding instead of focusing on the refund size.

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QuantumQuasar

•8M

You can definitely create a small buffer by slightly overwithholding. The IRS withholding calculator lets you choose your target refund amount. I'd recommend setting it for maybe $300-500 as a buffer, which gives you safety from owing while not lending the government thousands interest-free. For your last adjustment that resulted in owing $300, you probably reduced your withholding a bit too much. The calculator has improved in recent years and gives more precise recommendations. Just make sure you update it if your income changes during the year.

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