Tax Deductions and Credits I Claimed Exempt, Can I Still Get a Tax Refund? Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Written by Jim Wang Published Mar 17, 2019 - [Updated Jul 23, 2019] 3 min read The point of a tax refund is for the government to return some of the money that you have overpaid. When you receive a tax refund, it means that you have paid more money than you actually owe. One of the most common reasons that a taxpayer receives a tax refund is because extra money has been withheld from their paycheck. Additionally, tax deductions and credits can also lower your tax liability and result in a situation in which you are entitled to a refund. However, what happens if you don’t have to have money withheld from your paycheck? Can you still get a tax refund if you are considered exempt? What Qualifies You as Exempt? When you fill out your W-4 from your employer, you add your withholding allowances. Normally, there is a standard deduction (In 2018, it’s $12,000 for single, $24,000 married filing jointly). If your income is less than your standard deduction, then you are exempt – you don’t have to pay taxes. However, if you had any tax liability at all in the previous year, or you expect to owe for the current year, you can’t be considered exempt. Those who are exempt, though, won’t have taxes taken from their paychecks. And, normally, since you didn’t pay taxes, you aren’t eligible for a tax refund. But there are conditions that can result in being able to receive a tax refund, even if you are exempt from paying taxes. Refundable Tax Credits 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. These are tax credits that can create negative tax liability resulting in a tax refund, even if you haven’t paid taxes. One of the most common refundable tax credits is the Earned Income Tax Credit. This is a tax credit you receive for working and earning low to moderate income. If you have earned any income at all, even if you are exempt, you can claim this credit if you qualify. And, it can result in receiving a tax refund – even if you didn’t have taxes withheld from your paycheck. Another popular credit is the American Opportunity Credit. This education credit is available to help offset certain costs of higher education and is 40 percent refundable. Before you think that you won’t get any back from the government, double check your eligibility for refundable tax credits. There are instances where even being exempt from paying taxes can still result in a tax refund, but you won’t get your money unless you file a tax return. Don’t worry about knowing these tax rules. TurboTax will ask simple questions about you and give you the tax deductions and credits you’re eligible for based on your answers. If you have questions, you can connect live via one-way video to a TurboTax Live CPA or Enrolled Agent with an average 15 years’ experience to get your tax questions answered from the comfort of your home. TurboTax Live CPAs and Enrolled Agents are available in English and Spanish and can also review, sign, and file your tax return. Previous Post Get Refund Lucky with These Top 7 Tax Deductions &… Next Post Three Big Reasons to Not Wait for the Tax Deadline Written by Jim Wang More from Jim Wang 19 responses to “I Claimed Exempt, Can I Still Get a Tax Refund?” Im getting social security disability i didnt hav any takes taken out because I didnt know Im head of house hold I have two children 18 and 19 can I get anything or I shouldnt file? Reply Hi Victoria, If you have another source of income then you may need to file, but if you only have social security disability then you don’t need to file. If you received SSDI benefits and you have other income if one-half of your benefits and all your other income is more than $25,000 then up to 50% of your benefits may be taxable. If your combined income is more than $34,000 then up to 85% of your benefits could be taxable. If you have two kids and file as head of household you may be eligible for credits and deductions that get you a tax refund even if any portion of your social security is taxable. TurboTax will help you figure out your taxes and get you the credits and deductions you’re eligible for. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply Hi I’m Cely. I receive RSDI. And worked about two months this past year. But no tax was withheld. Can I still file and receive an earned income credit cuz I have a dependent in school? Also could I file for an earned income credit for previous years if my only source of income was my RSDI. I have a son who is a junior in high school and another son who is in his second year in college. Thank you. Reply Hello all! I have always been told to file “0” for exemptions to get the maximum return, but for 2015 I filed 3. I have 2 children and head of household. I’m in a very tight bind, and need as much back as possible. I’m afraid that with 3 exemptions, I won’t receive anything. Reply I files exempt all year I made 56000 dollars I have 2 kids 14 and 12 I also have a mortgage. Do you think I will owe federal a lot hoping just to break even Reply Hi. I haven’t been able to land a job since summer of 2013 after being fired. And haven’t collected any unemployment, I did file my 2013 for taxes. But since I made no income due to no job, would I still have to file for taxes for 2014? Reply Do I have any taxes in Reply hi jim i am a jim to.ok got a hardship excention for 2014 poperty taxes am on ssi i own my home can i still get a homestead tax refund or any other refund? thanku. Reply hi i filed taxes last year, but my daughter’s father claimed her. i wanted to make sure since i didn’t claim an exempt on her, that i didn’t mess up with the IRS Reply If I was on exemptions for 4 weeks only do o have to pay it and can I still get taxes back plz let me know asap Reply I did exemptions for 4 weeks only do I have to pay it back will I still taxes plz let me know asap Reply Hi I filed March of 2014 all the way til the end of November to catch up on some bills. When I file I know I will owe an exceptional amount to the IRS, however I get to claim my dependent for this year. That will deduct an exceptional amount owed will it not? Also i’m not doing anything illegal by exempting for that time period am I? Your knowledge on the situation would be greatly appreciated! – Thank you Reply Hi there, i filed exempt back at the end of february and ended the exemption last week september 19th. Will i still get a refund on my taxes next year? Reply Hi, It all depends on your income and how much you can deduct. Your income and tax liability may be low enough that coupled with tax deductions and credits you’re eligible for, you may get a tax refund. Without seeing your income and deductions I can’t say definitively. You can try TurboTax Taxcaster to get an estimate of your tax situation https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/calculators/taxcaster/ Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply my husband is collecting ssi $25,666 this year. I worked about half the year earning $6,177. We have no assets or savings. do we have to file income tax? Reply Hi, Yes, you should file your taxes. If you had any federal taxes taken out of your income you may be eligible for a tax refund. You also may also be eligible for Earned Income Tax Credit since your earned income is $6,177. I’m also not sure if you have any additional income, because you are close to the threshold from $32,000 to $44,000 where your combined income will cause some of your social security to be taxed. Here is an article for more information http://blog.turbotax.intuit.com/2012/02/13/how-social-security-income-is-taxed/ You don’t have to worry about the calculations TurboTax will figure it out for you. You may also qualify to file your federal taxes free. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply I GET VA CHECKS AND SSD CHECKS AND I KNOW I AM TAX EXEMPT. I GIVE MY WIFE THE W FORM I GET AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND SHE FILED TOGETHER. HER TAXES. I AM DOING A HOME MODIFICATION LOAN WITH A BANK DUE TO HARDSHIP DO I HAVE TO INCLUDE HER INCOME, AND SHOULD SHE BE INCLUDED IN THIS, THIS IS MY HOUSE A VA HOME LOAN THAT HAS ONLY MY NAME ON IT NOT HERS, SHE HAS HER OWN HOME WITH ONLY HER NAME ON IT..WHAT SHOULD I DO..THIS IS TIME SENSITIVE… Reply Ok I filed exempt during the whole and I was wondering if I file my taxes and get money back? Reply i mistakenly filed exempt using my employers new filing w4 online for the entire year of 2014…how will this effect me?..i made 26022.37 for the year… im single and a student Reply Leave a ReplyCancel reply Browse Related Articles Investments Tax Benefits of Real Estate Investing Self-Employed Business Tax Checklist: What You’ll Need When Filing Uncategorized What Is Deferred Compensation & How Is It Taxed? Investments How Does an Inherited IRA Work? Work Choosing Your Business Structure: 5 Types of Businesses… Tax Deductions and Credits Are HOA Fees Tax Deductible? 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Im getting social security disability i didnt hav any takes taken out because I didnt know Im head of house hold I have two children 18 and 19 can I get anything or I shouldnt file? Reply
Hi Victoria, If you have another source of income then you may need to file, but if you only have social security disability then you don’t need to file. If you received SSDI benefits and you have other income if one-half of your benefits and all your other income is more than $25,000 then up to 50% of your benefits may be taxable. If your combined income is more than $34,000 then up to 85% of your benefits could be taxable. If you have two kids and file as head of household you may be eligible for credits and deductions that get you a tax refund even if any portion of your social security is taxable. TurboTax will help you figure out your taxes and get you the credits and deductions you’re eligible for. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply
Hi I’m Cely. I receive RSDI. And worked about two months this past year. But no tax was withheld. Can I still file and receive an earned income credit cuz I have a dependent in school? Also could I file for an earned income credit for previous years if my only source of income was my RSDI. I have a son who is a junior in high school and another son who is in his second year in college. Thank you. Reply
Hello all! I have always been told to file “0” for exemptions to get the maximum return, but for 2015 I filed 3. I have 2 children and head of household. I’m in a very tight bind, and need as much back as possible. I’m afraid that with 3 exemptions, I won’t receive anything. Reply
I files exempt all year I made 56000 dollars I have 2 kids 14 and 12 I also have a mortgage. Do you think I will owe federal a lot hoping just to break even Reply
Hi. I haven’t been able to land a job since summer of 2013 after being fired. And haven’t collected any unemployment, I did file my 2013 for taxes. But since I made no income due to no job, would I still have to file for taxes for 2014? Reply
hi jim i am a jim to.ok got a hardship excention for 2014 poperty taxes am on ssi i own my home can i still get a homestead tax refund or any other refund? thanku. Reply
hi i filed taxes last year, but my daughter’s father claimed her. i wanted to make sure since i didn’t claim an exempt on her, that i didn’t mess up with the IRS Reply
If I was on exemptions for 4 weeks only do o have to pay it and can I still get taxes back plz let me know asap Reply
I did exemptions for 4 weeks only do I have to pay it back will I still taxes plz let me know asap Reply
Hi I filed March of 2014 all the way til the end of November to catch up on some bills. When I file I know I will owe an exceptional amount to the IRS, however I get to claim my dependent for this year. That will deduct an exceptional amount owed will it not? Also i’m not doing anything illegal by exempting for that time period am I? Your knowledge on the situation would be greatly appreciated! – Thank you Reply
Hi there, i filed exempt back at the end of february and ended the exemption last week september 19th. Will i still get a refund on my taxes next year? Reply
Hi, It all depends on your income and how much you can deduct. Your income and tax liability may be low enough that coupled with tax deductions and credits you’re eligible for, you may get a tax refund. Without seeing your income and deductions I can’t say definitively. You can try TurboTax Taxcaster to get an estimate of your tax situation https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/calculators/taxcaster/ Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply
my husband is collecting ssi $25,666 this year. I worked about half the year earning $6,177. We have no assets or savings. do we have to file income tax? Reply
Hi, Yes, you should file your taxes. If you had any federal taxes taken out of your income you may be eligible for a tax refund. You also may also be eligible for Earned Income Tax Credit since your earned income is $6,177. I’m also not sure if you have any additional income, because you are close to the threshold from $32,000 to $44,000 where your combined income will cause some of your social security to be taxed. Here is an article for more information http://blog.turbotax.intuit.com/2012/02/13/how-social-security-income-is-taxed/ You don’t have to worry about the calculations TurboTax will figure it out for you. You may also qualify to file your federal taxes free. Thank you, Lisa Greene-Lewis Reply
I GET VA CHECKS AND SSD CHECKS AND I KNOW I AM TAX EXEMPT. I GIVE MY WIFE THE W FORM I GET AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND SHE FILED TOGETHER. HER TAXES. I AM DOING A HOME MODIFICATION LOAN WITH A BANK DUE TO HARDSHIP DO I HAVE TO INCLUDE HER INCOME, AND SHOULD SHE BE INCLUDED IN THIS, THIS IS MY HOUSE A VA HOME LOAN THAT HAS ONLY MY NAME ON IT NOT HERS, SHE HAS HER OWN HOME WITH ONLY HER NAME ON IT..WHAT SHOULD I DO..THIS IS TIME SENSITIVE… Reply
i mistakenly filed exempt using my employers new filing w4 online for the entire year of 2014…how will this effect me?..i made 26022.37 for the year… im single and a student Reply