Why is my federal refund so low?

artsyfartsy08 asked:

My itemized deductions were $34,000, including $21,000 of mortgage interest. Why is my refund only $320??? This doesn’t make any sense. I thought on average you received about 1/3 of your itemized deductions back as a refund.
I thought that you got some benefits from homeownership by getting a decent refund. I am waiting for a professional to call me back from Turbo Tax but it just doesn’t seem right.