Giuseppe Lombardo/EyeEm/Getty Americans tend to fixate on refunds during tax season — the bigger, the better. Often, people spend the money on big expenses like a vacation or paying off debt, or as an instant savings account. If you're trying to build wealth, adjusting your tax withholdings can help reduce the size of your refund and increase your paycheck throughout the year to optimize every dollar you earn. See Business Insider's picks for the best tax software » Most Americans care about two things when it comes to taxes: owing less and getting a big refund.