33 — Total Payments Updated for tax year 2025

What this line means

The sum of all payments you have made toward your tax liability — federal withholding (line 25d), estimated tax payments (line 26), and all refundable credits (line 32). This is the total amount the IRS credits to your account. If line 33 exceeds your total tax on line 24, you overpaid and are getting a refund. If line 24 exceeds line 33, you owe the difference.

Does this apply to you?

• Every filer completes this line — it is the sum of lines 25d + 26 + 32
• This is the moment of truth: compare line 33 to line 24 to see if you owe or get a refund
• Tax software calculates this automatically

Easy to overlook

Refundable credits count as payments even if you paid nothing The Earned Income Credit, Additional Child Tax Credit, and refundable American Opportunity Credit are treated as “payments” on this line even though you never sent money to the IRS. A filer with zero withholding and zero estimated payments can still have a large amount on line 33 entirely from refundable credits. ¹ [SOURCE: IRS Form 1040 instructions — Line 33 computation]

This is where your refund calculation starts Line 33 minus line 24 equals your overpayment (line 34) or balance due (line 37). Every dollar of withholding, estimated payment, and refundable credit on line 33 directly reduces what you owe or increases your refund. Missing any component — a forgotten W-2 withholding, an unclaimed EIC — costs you dollar for dollar. ² [SOURCE: General filing pattern — total payments vs total tax comparison]

Watch out for this

Not including all sources of payment. Filers with multiple W-2s, 1099 withholding, estimated payments, and refundable credits must carefully add all components. Missing one W-2’s withholding or forgetting an estimated payment reduces line 33 and either shrinks your refund or increases your balance due.

Related lines on your return

• Line 25d — Form 1040 — Total federal withholding; the first component
• Line 26 — Form 1040 — Estimated tax payments; the second component
• Line 34 — Form 1040 — Overpayment; the result when line 33 exceeds line 24