Amount owed to state and "Amount Tax Payment"

Eowyn

I just finished filing my tax return and on one of the final screens to complete my tax return, it showed me how much I owed to the state of California and the "Amount Tax Payment" I needed to input.

I am getting $29 returned from federal taxes and I owed $25 in state taxes. I set my "amount tax payment" as $25, because that is how much I owe to California, right? If this is correct, why is the amount I'm being returned still $29 and not just $4 since I just owe $25 in state taxes? Will the $25 I owe be taken later on?

This is my first time filing any tax return and I just don't want to get anything wrong.

Te_ariki

Your federal and state taxes go to separate entities. So you will have to pay $25 to California department of tax, and then separately the IRS will refund you $29. The $25 and $29 don't interact or cancel each other out. So just make sure that you go into the California department of tax website and pay the amount due before the deadline. You'll receive your federal refund seperatly. https://www.ftb.ca.gov/pay/index.html