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Level 1
June 7, 2019
Solved

I didn't receive my full federal refund

I received my money a week or so after I filed them but didn't get my full federal refund.
Best answer by

  • One possibility is that you used the Refund Processing Service to pay your TurboTax Online fees. If you did, your TurboTax fee plus the additional processing fee is deducted from your federal tax refund.
  • Another possibility is that your refund was reduced by the government, either to correct a calculation error or through a refund offset. You’ll get an explanatory letter from the government if your refund differs from what was on your filed return.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/3301372

https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/4143297

 

 

  • Also, see question 14 from the IRS FAQs

https://www.irs.gov/Refunds/Tax-Season-Refund-Frequently-Asked-Questions

Q14: Why is my refund different than the amount reflected on the tax return I filed?

If you owe past-due federal tax, state income tax, state unemployment compensation debts, child support, spousal support, or certain federal nontax debts, such as student loans, all or part of your refund may be used (offset) to pay the past-due amount. Offsets for federal taxes are made by the IRS. All other offsets are made by the Treasury Department's Bureau of Fiscal Services (BFS). For federal tax offsets, you will receive a notice from the IRS. For all other offsets, you will receive a notice from BFS. To find out if you may have an offset or if you have any questions about it, contact the agency to which you owe the debt. See Tax Topic 203 for more information about refund offsets.

Another reason your refund amount may be different is if we made changes to your tax return that changed your refund amount. In this case you will get a notice in the mail from us explaining the changes. These reasons will be reflected in Where’s My Refund if they apply to your refund..

 


102 replies

Level 2
June 7, 2019
I used turbotax to file my taxes this year. It was a pretty simple file, but i paid for the service (not the free one). I owe no federal taxes, no state taxes, nothing in general. So why would the IRS short me $600?
Level 2
March 28, 2020

I shouldn't be complaining, but the IRS took $300 from my federal tax return and I don't owe any taxes. I should be waiting for an explanation in the mail... This happens to every other year and then I would get a letter in the mail saying I made a mistake in my tax file. I don't know why... lol...

Alumni - Champ
June 12, 2019
You have to wait for the letter from the IRS that explains that. Could you have made a data entry mistake?
Level 2
May 20, 2021

I had same situation as you. I never got a letter of explaination of the decrease. When I called IRS they said the form they have shows the lesser amount not the Turbo Tax form I submitted.

Level 2
June 12, 2019
I understand that. It is dated for Sep 4, so i assume I have more time to wait. It says online that they made the changes to my refund. I triple checked it before I sent it and again twice since receiving the error in my refund. Unless turbo tax did something wrong, then there was no error. Since it is such a large amount, I am very worried about this.
Level 15
June 12, 2019
TurboTax does not receive feedback from the IRS regarding money that was offset from your refund.  If you owed back taxes, child support, student loan debt, etc. you will receive a letter of explanation from the IRS in several weeks.  The WMR site will contain a message regarding your offset.
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-refund-offsets-pay-unpaid-debts">https://www.irs.gov/uac/tax-refund-offsets-pay-unpaid-debts</a>
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
Level 2
July 3, 2020

I didn't get my stimulus check yet

Level 15
July 3, 2020

@Roland Hunt wrote:

I didn't get my stimulus check yet


Check on the status of your economic impact payment (stimulus) with the Get My Payment tool:

https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment

 

FAQs about the Get My Payment tool:

https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment-frequently-asked-questions#missing

 

Additional FAQs about a stimulus payment:

https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payment-information-center

 

Level 2
June 12, 2019
As I said in the original message, I owe absolutely nothing. I just want to know how turbo tax could vary so drastically from the IRS. I, also, mentioned I understood about the letter. I appreciate your help, but it's not what I'm looking for. If I owe absolutely nothing, what other reason could there be to offset my refund so much?
Level 2
April 19, 2021

I had the same thing happen to me. Turbo tax calculated amount was first accepted then the IRS reduced my return by $500. Turbo tax needs to address this issue and compensation needs to be dispersed. 

Alumni - Champ
June 12, 2019
Did you receive any unemployment comp or a state tax refund?   Many states stopped sending out 1099-G forms for those, so taxpayers sometimes forget to claim them on their Federal returns.
Level 2
June 12, 2019
Nope, not at all and Texas doesn't have state taxes.
Alumni - Champ
June 12, 2019
Another possibility:  $600 in taxes equates to $4000 in income at a 15% tax rate.  Since $4,050 is the amount of a Personal Exemption, did you claim any dependents that the IRS might have disallowed? (In an earlier post, you mentioned stepchildren in Brazil.)  However, we are only guessing at this point, so please come back once you hear from the IRS.
Level 2
June 12, 2019
I did. My son from Brazil lives with me. I have a social security number for him, but I did not claim my other stepchildren since they are still in Brazil. Maybe something about that is what happen then. Thank you
Level 2
June 12, 2019
my full refund was $8,859 but I only got 1240 . what is going on. I don't owe any money neither students' loans. I claimed  my 2 independent kids and they are my siblings. do you think I willl get the rest ?
Level 2
March 28, 2020

I am beginning to think that you may not have filed your tax return correctly. You said INDEPENDENT SIBLINGS. Do you mean dependent siblings?