If I’m self-employed and didn’t pay estimated taxes, can I possibly get a refund?

It’s possible to have a refund if you didn’t pay estimated taxes. To have a refund, your deductions and credits must total more than your income tax liability.

You’d need to have both of these:

• A combination of deductions and credits that reduce your tax liability to 0
• One or more refundable credits to produce a refund

Refundable credits include:

• Earned Income Credit (EIC)
• Additional Child Tax Credit
• American Opportunity Credit
• Lifetime Learning Credit
• Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) credit

However, if you’re self-employed, you’re still subject to self-employment tax. This goes toward Social Security and Medicare taxes.