Kicker Rebate
It’s tax time and as usual I’m using the H&R Block software to led me through the job. I have all the info I need to file the Federal return, but I can’t yet because the software won’t let me. I have to wait on a program update that manages the Social Security section. Hey, it might be the same if I was using anybody’s else software too, because everybody is probably waiting on a US government thing.
Once all your basic money information is entered in. there is small window in the upper left that shows you what your rebate will be or what you will owe. As you continue filling out the sections the software it updates those figures to reflect any changes. This year we are going to get a couple hundred back from Uncle Sam.
Last year we owed the state a few bucks and as I filled out the state return for 2021 it looked like we were going to get like a few bucks back instead. That was until I got to the “Other Oregon Credits” section. There was something called a Kicker Rebate. On the next page I had to enter how much our state income tax liability was in 2020 and on the next page the calculated rebate made the the Oregon refund jump nearly $900!
Apparently this is an Oregon thing that when there is a revenue surplus above a certain amount they give that back to both citizens and corporations as a percentage of the tax they paid. We will gladly take it back.