I Just Filed My 2019 Return. This Year I Added A Second Dependant and I'm Receiving Less Than 2018. How Come?

There are many possible reasons why your refund is lower in 2019 than on your 2018 tax return. It would be difficult to determine the specific reason without reviewing your tax return.

Even though you added an additional dependent on your tax return, it is possible that this did not affect your refund. For tax years prior to 2018, taxpayers received an exemption amount for each dependent claimed. The dependency exemption is no longer available. However, claiming dependents on your tax return may allow you to claim certain credits, such as the child tax credit.

Here are some other common reasons why your refund could be lower:

• You had an increase or decrease in your income causing a change in your tax rate
• You had a change in the amount of taxes withheld on your W-2
• Your filing status changed
• You were no longer eligible for a credit or deduction 
• You had a change in the number or age of your dependents
• You refund changed after you entered additional information to your return

The best way to determine the reason why your refund decreased would be to compare your 2018 tax return to your 2019 tax return to see what may have changed.

Please see this TurboTax Article for more information.