It's really not.
If tax burden was 13k, and you took 0 out of check for fed tax then your Tax due would be 13k -13k for a net of $0
Which is exactly what I wrote.
If tax burden was 13k, and you took out 13k out of check for fed tax then your Tax due would be 0. You would not be able to use the 13k ax credit to get a 13k refund, as it is a NON-REFUNDABLE tax credit...
This is flat out 100% wrong.
"tax due" is irrelevant.
Withholding is irrelevant.
Tax BURDEN is the only relevant number.
It works exactly as I wrote in the post you quoted.
Non-refundable means you can't get more than your tax burden out of the credit.
Your withholdings aren't even
looked at on the 1040 until
after the EV credit is applied.
You'd get get 100% of your withholdings refunded if your EV credit was equal to or greater than your tax burden.
Take a look at a 1040. Look at the order things are computed line by line. Should become obvious why you're wrong.
If not, read on:
The overly simplified way to consider this is look at line 16 without any non-refundable credits considered yet... That is your initial tax burden.
You can reduce that amount, dollar for dollar, for all non-refundable credits available.
If you get to 0 and still have non-refundable credits, you lose the overage.
If you still aren't at 0 you can now reduce that amount, dollar for dollar, for all refundable credits.
If you get to 0 and still have refundable credits you DO NOT lose that overage- it becomes the initial amount of your refund.
THEN, and ONLY THEN, would you look at your withholdings
at all
If you were already at 0 with the above then you take your total withholdings and
add 100% of it to your refund
OR
If you never reached 0 after all those credits, you reduce the remaining tax burden dollar for dollar until you reach 0 any remaining withholdings is your refund.
If you STILL don't hit 0 by the end of withholdings, that's your tax bill.