My refund was not what TurboTax said it would be.

[SweetieJean]

State or Federal?  They come at different times. Did you have TT fees deducted?

[TerukoL]

If your tax refund is lower than TurboTax quoted, it may be caused by a refund offset. This is when the government applies part or all of a taxpayer's refund towards the taxpayer's past-due income tax, child or spousal support, student loans, or state unemployment compensation debts. Also, if you pay state taxes, make sure you did not add together your state and federal refunds.  They will be deposited separately.

Please see the TurboTax FAQ, listed below, to learn about refund offsets. 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/3288510

[Megegray]

I’m trying to understand why I got a federal deposit significantly less than I was quoted.

thank you for your prompt response,

megan 

[LenaH]

It depends. Your refund could be lower due to a refund offset or if the IRS adjusted your refund due to a correction on your tax return. 

As stated above by @TerukoL, a refund offset is when an IRS refund is reduced or intercepted to pay off delinquent debt, such as past-due child support, outstanding student loans, or unpaid state income tax. If this happens, you should get a letter from the IRS explaining why you didn't get the entire refund. You can also get this information by looking up your refund at the IRS Where's My Refund page.

Lastly, the IRS may have made a correction to your tax return, resulting in a lower than anticipated refund. You'll get an official explanatory letter when this happens as well. 

@Megegray