To include next years tax return In Budget

Plan without the tax return.

Do NOT count on it if you don't have to. I needed mine to pay for my wedding (wouldn't have been able to fund it otherwise period) and I thought we might have to postpone or see if my fiances parents would loan us money. I filed in January and got mine in the middle of July 🙃 my wedding is this October and it cut it very close

Oh my goodness we are getting married on April 23, 2022 too!

I would not count on it. You’re better off planning like normal without it, and then when you get it, it would be extra cushion to splurge on something. I never rely on money I don’t have yet.

Never count on money that you don’t have. There are so many things that can happen, don’t put yourself in that situation.

I wouldn't plan anything based on uncertain funds. Try to pay everything off early or save monthly for expenses at the end.

Don't count your chickens before they hatch! I don't want you guys to be in the hole with the wedding because you assumed a certain amount on your tax return

Do not rely upon the potential tax refund you will receive from the IRS, as it is not worth the extra stress, and continue planning your wedding with the current budget you have. Because it is also the fact that we never know what the IRS/government will decide to do with the tax deadline or create an extra step in the filing process with the all the "assistance" they continue to hand out.
I work at a tax accountant firm so everyday my life involves the IRS somehow.

I would plan based on the money you currently have on hand.

Don’t plan to spend money you do not have

I agree with the previous comments. I wouldn't rely on the tax return money. I would instead plan your wedding with the money you currently have. If the tax return gets delayed, or isn't the amount you expected, or any other issue, that could make it tough to come up with the money from elsewhere to make up for what you were counting on from the tax return.

I wouldn't rely on money you don't yet have. You should budget as if you will not have the tax return in hand by the time your wedding bills are due.

Various things could cause issues with your tax return - the amount could change due to different regulations, there could be delays with receiving it due to IRS back logs, you could get audited, etc. So I would consider it "bonus" money instead of something you build into your budget.

I wouldn't rely on money you don't have in hand for budgeting.

If you normally receive a large tax return can you adjust your tax withholdings so you get more money in each paycheck instead of the large lump sum at tax time?

I say to plan without your tax returns. My husband always got great returns and expected another one before the wedding this year too help pay for our wedding and with the recent reduction in our jobs we needed it. We filed and he didn’t get anything back but owed for the first time. So I say plan with what you have and if you get the return then add it when it is physically in your accounts. Never a good idea to plan with money you don’t have yet.