Do I need to file amended return?

TurboTax does not get any information from the IRS after you file your tax return, so no one at TT knows why your refund was less.

Sometimes we can make an educated guess as to the reason for your reduced refund if you mention specific amounts--for example if your refund was short by $1400 per person---it is likely to be a mix up regarding the 3rd EIP payment.    If you received the 3rd stimulus check of $1400 per person in 2021 then you got letter 6475 from the IRS about it.   You needed to enter the amount you received.   If you already received that money then line 30 on your Form 1040 should have been blank.

  If it is short by $1800 or  $1500 or  a multiple of that amount  ---   maybe a mixup regarding the advance child tax credit payments. If you received monthly child tax credit payments of $250 or $300 per month between July and December of 2021, then you got letter 6419 from the IRS, and you were required to enter the amount of the advance payments.   Only the remaining amount of the CTC should have been on line 28 of your Form 1040.

The IRS knows how much they sent to you for the 3rd stimulus check and they know how much they sent for advance child tax credit payments.   If you answered something incorrectly on your tax return then the IRS made a correction that resulted in a reduced refund for you. 

 Or---the fees you were supposed to pay for using TurboTax + the "refund processing fee" charged by the third party bank….

Did you choose to have TT fees deducted from your Federal refund?  (Remember that if you did that, you also agreed to an extra refund processing fee of $39.99 or $44.99 in CA)

How can I see my TurboTax  fees?   

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2565973-how-do-i-review-my-fees-in-turbotax-online

What is Refund Processing Service?

The IRS will send you a letter that explains why your refund was reduced or why you owe more.   Meanwhile it might help you to check your online IRS account.

https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account

https://blog.turbotax.intuit.com/tax-refunds/why-is-my-tax-refund-not-what-i-expected-49240/

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/questions-and-answers-about-the-third-round-economic-impact-payment-topic-j-payment-issued-but-lost-stolen-destroyed-or-not-received

If you need to trace a payment that the IRS says has been issued to you, mail or fax a completed IRS Form 3911, Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund.

Updated IRS FAQ about recovery rebate credit

https://www.irs.gov/pub/taxpros/fs-2022-27.pdf

@bry24 - please answer these questions and we can figure it out:

1) what is the EXACT amount of the IRS adjustment of your refund

2) what is on Line 28 of form 1040

3) what is on Line 30 of form 1040

4) what are the ages of your children as of 12/31/21.  

5) how much did you receive for the Advance child tax credit. Please review your bank account for the months of July -Dec. 2021.  Please do not do this from memory.

6) how much did you receive for the 3rd stimulus payment.  Please review your bank account for the months of March - May, 2021.  it should be in multiples of $1400 for most tax returns. PLease do not do this from memory. 

if you post back the answers, we can figure this out. 

If you filed a return that you believe is correct, but the IRS has objections, you can't fix that by filing an amended return.  You need to wait for the IRS to make a final determination, at which point they will send you a letter.  You then have 30 days (usually) to appeal, and there will be a specific address and specific process to appeal the decision.  You can't use the amending process to get around a final decision, you have to use the available appeal process.