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Here's how big tax refunds could be this year for people earning between $21,000 and $266,000

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  • It's the first tax season under the new tax law President Donald Trump enacted in late 2017.
  • While a majority of Americans saw a decrease in their overall tax bill for 2018, many complained about smaller refunds during the first few weeks of the tax-filing season.
  • A tax refund means you had too much withheld from your paycheck for taxes . The amount withheld is determined by the number of allowances you claim.
  • Business Insider calculated federal tax refund amounts for different income levels for a single person with no dependents who claims zero allowances.
  • The IRS withholding calculator recommends the typical person in this situation claim two allowances. Doing so would minimize their tax refund while still covering their tax liability.

Americans love tax refunds they're a form of forced savings and often act as a reset button for a family's finances.

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After weeks of worry about smaller tax refunds , the average refund size by mid-March was up to about $3,000 nearly the same as this time last year, according to IRS data.

But with the passage of President Donald Trump's tax law, some Americans may be receiving smaller refunds than previous years, but it doesn't mean their taxes went up. In fact, the majority of Americans received a tax cut, Business Insider's Bob Bryan reported .

The tax law instituted new guidelines for how much employers should withhold from employees' paychecks for taxes. The amount withheld is determined by the number of allowances the taxpayer claims, which can be adjusted at any time throughout the year.

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"Depending on a filer's tax situation, they may not get as large of a refund this year as they're used to if they didn't adjust their withholdings in 2018. That said, they shouldn't immediately be alarmed if that's the case," Mark Jaeger, the director of tax development at TaxAct , told Business Insider.

"Just because you receive a small refund doesn't mean you didn't get everything back you were owed or that you're worse off financially it most likely means you paid the right amount of federal taxes you owed during the year and didn't overpay," Jaeger said.

The government recommends a single person with no dependents and one job claim two allowances to get as close as possible to covering their tax liability. That person will also take home a bigger paycheck throughout the year than if they claimed one or zero allowances, allowing them to potentially save and invest more.

"Many filers received a boost in their paychecks throughout 2018; that's where the remaining amount of their refund went," Jaeger said. "Instead of waiting to receive their money as a tax refund, they received it all year long."

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To find out how workers fared, we calculated federal tax refund amounts for different income levels based on the following assumptions: A single filer who makes a 10% pretax retirement contribution (up to the 2018 maximum $18,500), takes the standard deduction ($12,000), and claims zero federal withholding allowances.

A person who claims zero allowances will have more money withheld from every paycheck, but likely end up with a tax refund when filing their tax return. "Some individuals like receiving a larger refund because they use it as a savings account," Jaeger said. "It's a way for them to save a significant chunk of money throughout the year."

Below, here's how big tax refunds could be this year for workers at different income levels.

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Getty Images

Average salary: $21,610

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $19,449

Federal income taxes due: $744.90

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2018 refund: $954.90

tartanparty/Shutterstock

Average salary: $25,280

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Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $22,752

Federal income taxes due: $1,099.74

2018 refund: $996.42

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Shutterstock

Average salary: $30,480

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $27,432

Federal income taxes due: $1,661.34

2018 refund: $996.42

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Getty Images

Average salary: $40,840

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $36,756

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Federal income taxes due: $2,780.22

2018 refund: $996.42

Courtesy of Spyce

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Average salary: $49,650

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $44,685

Federal income taxes due: $3,731.70

2018 refund: $1,225.32

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Average salary: $51,930

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $46,737

Federal income taxes due: $3,977.94

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2018 refund: $1,430.52

Flickr/Official U.S. Navy Page

Average salary: $55,270

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Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $49,743

Federal income taxes due: $4,338.66

2018 refund: $1,731.12

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Getty Images

Average salary: $60,760

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $54,684

Federal income taxes due: $5,329.98

2018 refund: $1,826.82

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Shutterstock.com/Monkey Business Images

Average salary: $66,990

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $60,291

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Federal income taxes due: $6,563.52

2018 refund: $1,826.82

Boston Globe/Contributor/Getty Images

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Average salary: $74,680

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $67,212

Federal income taxes due: $8,086.14

2018 refund: $1,826.82

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Getty Images / Carl Court

Average salary: $77,920

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $70,128

Federal income taxes due: $8,727.66

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2018 refund: $1,826.82

Flickr.com/alper

Average salary: $87,530

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Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $78,777

Federal income taxes due: $10,630.44

2018 refund: $1,826.82

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Klyuchinskiy Oleg

Average salary: $91,790

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $82,611

Federal income taxes due: $11,473.92

2018 refund: $1,826.82

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Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design/Flickr

Average salary: $99,580

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $89,622

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Federal income taxes due: $13,016.34

2018 refund: $1,895.34

COD Newsroom/flickr

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Average salary: $107,480

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $96,732

Federal income taxes due: $14,625.18

2018 refund: $1,992.90

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NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/flickr

Average salary: $115,300

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $103,770

Federal income taxes due: $16,314.30

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2018 refund: $1,992.90

Reuters/Gary Cameron

Average salary: $121,710

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Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $109,539

Federal income taxes due: $17,698.86

2018 refund: $1,992.90

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Getty Images

Average salary: $141,890

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $127,701

Federal income taxes due: $22,057.74

2018 refund: $1,992.90

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Tim Boyle/Getty

Average salary: $161,280

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $145,152

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Federal income taxes due: $26,245.98

2018 refund: $1,992.90

PikWizard

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Average salary: $196,050

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $177,550

Federal income taxes due: $34,665.50

2018 refund: $2,657.22

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Jim Bourg/Reuters

Average salary: $208,560

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $190,060

Federal income taxes due: $38,668.70

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2018 refund: $2,657.22

Getty Images

Average salary: $229,380

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Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $210,880

Federal income taxes due: $45,331.10

2018 refund: $2,872.62

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isafmedia/flickr

Average salary: $265,990

Taxable income after 10% 401(k) contribution: $247,490

Federal income taxes due: $58,111

2018 refund: $2,906.22

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See Also:

SEE ALSO: Experts say small tax refunds are a good thing, but a look at how Americans spend the cash explains why they don't feel the same

DON'T MISS: The 25 states where high-income Americans earning $150,000 a year pay the least in taxes

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