Wisconsin Payments Section Overview

The Wisconsin Payments section is used to report tax payments and refund elections that affect the amount of tax you owe or the refund you receive.

In most cases, Wisconsin withholding reported on your federal tax documents automatically carries to your Wisconsin return. Before completing the Payments section, make sure the Wisconsin withholding information was entered correctly on all Forms W-2, Forms 1099, and any other forms reporting Wisconsin withholding.

What Information Is Entered in the Payments Section?

The Wisconsin Payments section is primarily used for:

• Reviewing Wisconsin withholding and payments carried from your federal return
• Applying all or part of your Wisconsin refund to next year's Wisconsin tax return

Wisconsin Withholding

Wisconsin income tax withholding reported on your tax documents generally transfers automatically to your Wisconsin return.

Common documents that may contain Wisconsin withholding include:

• Form W-2
• Form 1099-R
• Form 1099-NEC
• Form 1099-MISC
• Other Forms 1099 reporting Wisconsin tax withheld

Before filing, verify that all Wisconsin withholding amounts have been entered correctly on your federal forms. Incorrect withholding entries can affect both your Wisconsin refund and your balance due.

Apply Your Refund to Next Year's Wisconsin Tax Return

If you're entitled to a Wisconsin refund, you may choose to apply all or part of that refund to your next year's Wisconsin income taxes.

Instead of receiving the selected amount as part of your refund, Wisconsin will credit the amount toward your following year's tax liability.

Why Would I Apply My Refund Forward?

You may choose this option if you:

• Expect to owe Wisconsin tax next year.
• Make estimated tax payments.
• Want to reduce future tax payments.
• Prefer to use part of your current refund toward next year's taxes.

Important

You can only apply an amount up to the refund available on your Wisconsin return.

If:

• The amount entered is greater than your refund, or
• Your Wisconsin return shows a balance due,

the amount entered will not transfer to the Wisconsin return.

Because the final refund amount isn't determined until the return is completed, you may need to return to the Payments section later to enter the amount you'd like to apply.

How Do I Enter an Amount to Apply to Next Year's Return?

After completing and saving your Wisconsin return:

1. Navigate to the Wisconsin Return section.
2. Select Edit.
3. Select Payments.
4. Enter the amount of your Wisconsin refund that you'd like to apply to next year's Wisconsin return.
5. Continue through the remainder of the Wisconsin return.

When Should I Enter This Amount?

It's best to wait until you've completed the Wisconsin return and know your final refund amount.

This helps ensure the amount you're applying does not exceed the refund available.

Program Entry

To access the Wisconsin Payments section:

1. State Section
2. Edit (three dots)
3. Payments
4. Review Wisconsin withholding and payment information
5. Enter any refund amount you wish to apply to next year's Wisconsin return
6. Continue through the remainder of the Wisconsin return

What Records Should I Keep?

Keep copies of:

• Forms W-2
• Forms 1099
• Wisconsin withholding records
• Your completed Wisconsin return
• Confirmation of any refund amount applied to the following year's taxes

Keeping these records with your tax documents can help verify your Wisconsin payments and any refund carryforward election in future tax years.