I received a TurboTax email saying"...you will need to file an amended federal tax return." But on web it says "Most taxpayers should not amend for the unemployment tax"

[teenthompson]

They physically called me and told me to amend and then followed up with 2 emails. And still I called TurboTax to question them before moving forward with filing an amended return. Only upon the insistence of the rep that I spoke to when I called, did I proceed with amending my return. TurboTax knew full well what they were doing. I’m convinced that this was a deliberate ploy to stifle taxpayers on behalf of the IRS. 

[teenthompson]

TurboTax’s sole intent was for those they communicated this email to, to file amended returns. They physically called me insisting that I needed to amend my return, before I even received 2 follow up emails from them. Amending is exactly what they were telling people to do in the email. 

[teenthompson]

Was your refund accurate? Unfortunately, mine was more than $1000 less than what I was to have gotten. 

[Mike9241]

why will the taxpayer get less?   if they amended correctly the refund shown would be the same as what the IRS calculates.   however, many taxpayers messed up on entering the EIPs they received and left them off their returns. therefore, the IRS would adjust for those and the taxpayer would properly get less.

[jmansf]

Yep!  I got reprimanded when speaking to a Tax Advocate for amending my return and said that this IS the reason for my delayed CTC payment.  What I find incredibly amazing in all of this is that this credit was made to be available NOW and the sole purpose was for ADVANCED payments in order to help families in need due to the struggle we have faced during the Pandemic. Now we are made to wait for it due to the misinformation and miscommunication sent directly our way. I find it unacceptable that we are on HOLD for the funds. I do not understand why they cannot just provide the tax payment and clean it up on their end in the background. This is insane. So many of us are using our credit to buy groceries and pay bills and/or have been made to ask family to help support our families - when in fact we are being denied our money that would keep us afloat.  I am just sick about how ridiculous this has been. To not have received a penny of this credit this entire time for the fact that I amended my return, which I was directed to do and actually the appropriate measure, its just heartbreaking for my family

[Critter-3]

OK everyone ... let's back things up a bit.   The rules changed and the way the IRS was to handle them were in flux until they decided how to handle this situation.    The email alert that TT sent out did NOT tell you to amend but suggested you MAY need to amend if you had OTHER things to correct ... the RRC was not one of them.  Sadly many amended when they should not have done so and in a normal year this would not be an issue. 

Then in May it was decided that there would be monthly advance CTC payments to be sent out  and no one (even the IRS) knew or posted the info that if you have ANY return in the IRS processing system that the advance payments would be halted.  So don't blame TT if you filed a return you did not need to file or for not telling you of the unforeseen consequences that could possibly happen.   

Now the amended return will take 6 months or more to process AFTER the original return has been fully processed which means you may never get any of the ADVANCE CTC payments so you will have to wait until you file the 2021 return next year for the credit on the return.  Sadly there is nothing you, TT or the IRS can do to fix this or speed up the process.  Blame congress for messing up this entire situation so badly.  

[fanfare]

There's no good reason for an amendment to make the IRS pause the Advance CTC because that is a 2021 credit. It will all be resolved on the 2021 tax return.

You can't blame Congress for that one.

[Mswhitney9]

How would we know if we would qualify for more credits. I never received anything for the taxes i paid on unemployment last year

[JamesG1]

I think that you are referring to your 2020 Federal 1040 tax return which reported unemployment income.  Please clarify.

The benefit from some tax credits will increase (or now be available to you) as adjusted gross income goes down.

For instance the Earned Income Tax Credit for an individual with no dependents may not be available to you with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of $21,500.  But the credit would be available if the MAGI becomes $11,500.

You would have to review your tax return or amend the tax return to see whether you qualify for additional credits.  See also here.

At your IRS online account, you can find whether a payment was issued to you that you did not receive.  You can also find 2020 refund information on your tax transcript.

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.

@Mswhitney9

[Odaniels29]

I will need to amend I didn’t add my child please help 

[MoniqueLO_]

If your e-filed return is pending, you will not be able to make any changes until it is accepted or rejected by the IRS. The TurboTax amend process for 2022 will be available soon. When it's ready and your returns have been accepted or rejected, you can e-file your 2022 1040-X. Please see this Help Article for more information. 

@Odaniels29