How Do I Find My State Tax Refund?

Calculating your state tax refund before your return is due and collecting it in a timely fashion are smart money management tasks that you should complete every year. Determining how much money you should be getting back is easy if you have your paycheck stubs from throughout the year, and selecting your payment method is a simple part of the filing process. Follow these steps to figure out what you're owed and how you'll collect it.

Things You'll Need

• Paycheck stubs
• Calculator
• Computer with Internet access
• Tax return documentation
• Tax forms from employer

Instructions

1. Gather the relevant paperwork. You will need either paycheck stubs from the entire tax year or records of your income and taxes withheld during that period. You also will need the tax return forms provided to you by the Internal Revenue Service and the employee tax records provided to you by your employer(s).

2. Find a state tax refund calculator online. There are several free web-based tax calculators on the internet, including some that are designed to calculate taxes for a specific state. If you want to be thorough, however, you can find two or three online state tax calculators and use them all to calculate your refund. A link to one of these free calculators can be found in the resources section of this article.

3. Gather the information required to use the calculator. Typical data fields will include your state, filing status, annual income and total amount withheld in state taxes. All this information can be found on your paycheck stubs and the tax documents provided by your employer. Enter the information into the calculator and request the results to find the amount of your state tax refund.

4. Decide how you will file your tax return. You can prepare your return by yourself and submit it via mail or the online e-file system. If you need help, you can use tax return preparation software, web-based tax return preparation services or request the expertise of private or commercial accountants. Professional or technical assistance with tax preparation typically comes at an affordable fee and can help filers avoid filing returns with mistakes. Sometimes, these professional services can even help taxpayers maximize the amounts of their returns.

5. Prepare your tax return in the method you've chosen and select the payment method for your refund. Your options for payment are direct deposit or receiving a check by mail. If you choose direct deposit, you must provide some bank account information in your tax return. You do not have to provide additional information if you request a check by mail. Taxpayers who request their refunds via direct deposit often collect their refunds several weeks earlier than those who receive their checks by mail.

6. File your tax return. If you selected direct deposit, you may receive your refund in as soon as three weeks. If you selected a check by mail, payment will take two months or longer.

Tips & Warnings

• The United States Tax Code can be confusing. If you are not sure if you are preparing your tax return correctly, consulting an online or walk-in tax preparation service could be a good idea.

• Failing to file your tax returns, or filing them improperly, can potentially void tax refunds that you've been owed and lead to other types of penalties.

Resources

• State Tax Refund Calculator