Can I File Exempt & Nonetheless Get a Tax Refund? (2024)

Final tax season, greater than 75% of taxpayers acquired a tax refund, and the typical refund was over $3,000. You may get began now with TurboTax and get nearer to your tax refund, and when you have questions in your taxes, you’ll be able to join reside through one-way video to a TurboTax Reside tax knowledgeable with a median of 12 years of expertise to get your tax questions answered from the consolation of your sofa.

As chances are you’ll already know, the IRS points tax refunds whenever you pay extra tax through the 12 months than you really owe. While you file exempt together with your employer for federal tax withholding, you don’t make any tax funds through the 12 months. With out paying tax, you don’t qualify for a tax refund until you qualify to say a refundable tax credit score, just like the Earned Revenue Tax Credit score.

The tax regulation requires your employer to withhold federal revenue tax from every paycheck you obtain and ship it to the IRS on a quarterly foundation. At tax time, your employer supplies you with a W-2 Type that reviews the entire quantity of taxes withheld through the 12 months. While you sit right down to do your taxes, if the taxes you owe are lower than the entire quantity withheld, the IRS will ship you a tax refund for the distinction.

Typically, if you’re self-employed and anticipate to owe $1,000 or extra, you’re required to make revenue tax funds each three months all year long. In case you have questions, we’ve got TurboTax Reside Premium tax consultants, out there in English and Spanish, that can assist you together with your private and enterprise revenue and bills.

Submitting exempt from withholding

While you begin a job, your employer will ask you to fill out IRS Type W-4. The W-4 helps you estimate the quantity that must be withheld from every paycheck based mostly on the tax data you present. To assert an exemption from withholding, you could meet sure standards. Should you had even $1 of tax legal responsibility within the prior 12 months or anticipate incomes revenue in extra of the sum of your normal deduction ($13,850 single, $20,800 head of family, $27,700 married submitting collectively), you can’t be exempt from federal tax withholding within the present 12 months.

Can I File Exempt & Nonetheless Get a Tax Refund? (1)

For instance, for those who file as single in your 2023 taxes, you could not anticipate incomes revenue in extra of the usual deduction of $13,850. Should you nonetheless declare exempt from withholding and earn revenue in extra of this quantity, you’ll in all probability owe some taxes until you qualify for refundable tax credit just like the Earned Revenue Tax Credit score or the Youngster Tax Credit score.

Replace your W-4

In case you are unable to say exempt from withholding, you’ll be able to nonetheless scale back the quantity that’s withheld out of your paycheck by updating your W-4 and altering your withholding. There’s a redesigned IRS W-4 now known as the W-4 Worker’s Withholding Certificates as a substitute of the W-4 Withholding Allowance Certificates that has been up to date to replicate modifications underneath tax reform.

The IRS W-4 was redesigned to align with modifications underneath tax reform and to assist taxpayers work out their appropriate withholding after tax regulation modifications. One of many largest modifications on the W-4 type was the elimination of non-public allowances since allowances have been tied to the dependent and private exemption which have been eradicated. The redesigned W-4 will take into consideration whether or not you’ll be able to declare the Youngster Tax Credit score and whether or not you’ll be able to declare tax deductions apart from the usual deduction, each of which might scale back your withholding.

Can I File Exempt & Nonetheless Get a Tax Refund? (2)

Refundable tax credit

A refundable tax credit score implies that even when you have zero tax legal responsibility earlier than claiming the tax credit score, you should still get a tax refund. Refundable tax credit not solely scale back federal taxes you owe, however additionally they may lead to a tax refund even when the tax credit score is greater than the tax you owe. For instance, the American Alternative Tax Credit score that covers sure greater schooling bills is 40 p.c refundable, and the Earned Revenue Tax Credit score is absolutely refundable, so if you’re eligible for these tax credit you might even see a tax refund even for those who paid no revenue tax for the 12 months.

It doesn’t matter what strikes you made final 12 months, TurboTax will make them depend in your taxes. Whether or not you wish to do your taxes your self or have a TurboTax knowledgeable file for you, we’ll ensure you get each greenback you deserve and your largest attainable refund – assured.

Can I File Exempt & Nonetheless Get a Tax Refund? (3)

Can I File Exempt & Nonetheless Get a Tax Refund? (4)

Lisa has over 20 years of expertise in tax preparation. Her success is attributed to having the ability to interpret tax legal guidelines and assist purchasers higher perceive them. She has held positions as a public auditor, controller, and operations supervisor. Lisa has appeared on the Steve Harvey Present, the Ellen Present, and main information broadcast to interrupt down tax legal guidelines and assist taxpayers perceive what tax legal guidelines imply to them. For Lisa, getting well timed and correct data out to taxpayers to assist them preserve extra of their cash is paramount. Extra from Lisa Greene-Lewis

188 responses to “Can I File Exempt & Nonetheless Get a Tax Refund?”

Can I File Exempt & Nonetheless Get a Tax Refund? (2024)

FAQs

Can I File Exempt & Nonetheless Get a Tax Refund? ›

Without paying tax, you do not qualify for a tax refund unless you qualify to claim a refundable tax credit, like the Earned Income Tax Credit. The tax law requires your employer to withhold federal income tax from each paycheck you receive and send it to the IRS on a quarterly basis.

Do you get a refund if you exempt? ›

Even if you are exempt, you can still receive a tax refund if you qualify for a refundable tax credit. Some tax credits are only applied up to the point that you zero out the taxes owed. Refundable tax credits, on the other hand, can result in cash back.

Can you get a tax refund with no taxable income? ›

If you qualify for tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, you can receive a refund even if your tax is $0. To claim the credits, you have to file your 1040 and other tax forms.

How long can you claim exempt before owing? ›

An exemption from withholding is only good for one year. Employees must give you a new W-4 each year to keep or end the exemption. If the exemption expires, withhold federal income tax according to the employee's Form W-4 information.

Is it good to go exempt on taxes? ›

Some taxpayers may file both exemptions and credits on certain tax returns. Both are generally favorable for the taxpayer, but each has a different mechanism to benefit the filer. Tax exemptions reduce the amount of income on which you owe tax.

Does filing exempt hurt your taxes? ›

If you claim exempt on your Form W-4 without actually being eligible, anticipate a large tax bill and possible penalties after you file your tax return.

Will I get a tax refund if I didn't work? ›

Most likely not, however sometimes there are other reasons. If you paid for your own health insurance and you received the premium tax credit on it, you may get some refund of an overpaid premium or underpaid - you may owe. You may have federal withholding on unemployment, social security, or something else.

Can I get earned income credit with no income? ›

To qualify, you have to have worked in the year for which you're claiming the credit, earned at least $1, and your income must be below a certain threshold. The earned income credit is a refundable tax credit.

How to get $7000 tax refund? ›

Requirements to receive up to $7,000 for the Earned Income Tax Credit refund (EITC)
  1. Have worked and earned income under $63,398.
  2. Have investment income below $11,000 in the tax year 2023.
  3. Have a valid Social Security number by the due date of your 2023 return (including extensions)
Apr 12, 2024

Who qualifies for a tax refund? ›

You get a refund if you overpaid your taxes the year before. This can happen if your employer withholds too much from your paychecks (based on the information you provided on your W-4).

What is the penalty for claiming exempt on W4? ›

An employee may be subject to a $500 penalty if he or she submits, with no reasonable basis, a Form W-4 that results in less tax being withheld than is required. Refer to Chapter 4 of Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax For Individuals.

When to file an exempt? ›

Additionally, to claim exempt from withholding federal taxes, you must have owed no federal income tax in the previous year and expect to owe nothing in the current year.

Can I still get a refund if no federal taxes were withheld? ›

It's possible. If you do not have any federal tax withheld from your paycheck, your tax credits and deductions could still be greater than any taxes you owe. This would result in you being eligible for a refund. You must file a tax return to claim your refund.

Do you get refund if you exempt? ›

When you file exempt with your employer for federal tax withholding, you do not make any tax payments during the year. Without paying tax, you do not qualify for a tax refund unless you qualify to claim a refundable tax credit, like the Earned Income Tax Credit.

What is the disadvantage of the tax exemption? ›

Drawbacks of Tax-Exempt Status

These activities include actions like political campaign activities or extensive lobbying. They must also be careful with unrelated business income, which can be taxable. Additionally, maintaining nonprofit status requires detailed record-keeping and regular reporting to the IRS.

What is the point of tax exempt? ›

Tax exemptions come in many forms, but one thing they all have in common is they either reduce or entirely eliminate your obligation to pay tax. Most taxpayers are entitled to an exemption on their tax return that reduces your tax bill in the same way a deduction does.

Is it better to claim 0 or exempt? ›

Claiming 0 on Your Taxes

If your goal is to receive a larger tax refund, then it will be your best option to claim 0. Typically, those who opt for 0 want a lump sum to use as they wish, like: Pay bills.

What happens if I claimed exempt but don't qualify? ›

It's important to be certain of your eligibility before claiming a federal tax exemption. If you indicate you are exempt from withholding a portion of your income on your W-4 without meeting the requirements listed above, you may face a tax bill or penalties as a result of picking the incorrect withholding status.

Will I get a tax refund if I made less than $10,000? ›

If you earn less than $10,000 per year, you don't have to file a tax return. However, you won't receive an Earned-Income Tax Credit refund unless you do file.

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