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Level 2
posted Mar 16, 2022 6:36:13 PM

My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

I filed my taxes Feb 1st and did the 21 day return and hit the button to have the fees taken out of my taxes. I waited over a month to get my tax refund back and when I did it was $1500 under what I was supposed to get. Everytime I tried calling someone, I got the same response of "call again tomorrow" by an automated voice. I just want the rest of my money please. 

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22 Replies
Level 2
Mar 16, 2022 6:38:55 PM

I got the same thing when I called. It also said I should be getting a letter from the IRS as well, and that hasn't happened yet either! It's so frustrating

Level 15
Mar 16, 2022 6:39:06 PM

See this

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

 

 

Level 15
Mar 16, 2022 6:39:25 PM

Does the IRS website indicate that you were sent less than what was reported on your federal tax return Form 1040 Line 34? - https://www.irs.gov/refunds

Level 2
Mar 16, 2022 6:45:21 PM

This is all it says. None of which apply to me

Level 2
Mar 16, 2022 6:50:03 PM

This is all mine said. And none apply to me either. 

New Member
Mar 19, 2022 2:54:53 PM

same here. very confused because it said i should be receiving the 3rd stimulus in my tax return but i haven’t. i got my refund back but am missing the extra 1400

Level 15
Mar 19, 2022 2:57:18 PM


@egc2019 wrote:

same here. very confused because it said i should be receiving the 3rd stimulus in my tax return but i haven’t. i got my refund back but am missing the extra 1400


Does the IRS website indicate that you were sent less than what was reported on your federal tax return Form 1040 Line 34? - https://www.irs.gov/refunds


If your refund is short $1,400 then that is because you said you did not receive the 3rd stimulus payment and the IRS has records that show you were sent the 3rd stimulus payment so they removed the $1,400 Recovery Rebate Credit that was entered on Form 1040 Line 30.


Go to this IRS website for your tax account to see if the 3rd stimulus payment is entered - https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account


If you checked your bank account in the March - May 2021 timeframe and there is not a $1,400 EIP3 payment from the IRS then go to this IRS website for how to start a trace on the payment - https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/questions-and-answers-about-the-third-economic-impact-payment-topic-j-payment-issued-but-lost-stolen-destroyed-or-not-received

Level 2
Mar 19, 2022 10:43:57 PM

Except, I only ever got 2 stimulus payments? So what you wrote does not apply to me. 

Returning Member
Mar 20, 2022 3:27:50 PM

Me too. I am also missing the 3rd stimulus ($1400) I got everything but that and today marks a month since filling and still no update or anything 

Level 15
Mar 20, 2022 3:41:17 PM


@DonJohn wrote:

Me too. I am also missing the 3rd stimulus ($1400) I got everything but that and today marks a month since filling and still no update or anything 


Does the IRS website indicate that you were sent less than what was reported on your federal tax return Form 1040 Line 34? - https://www.irs.gov/refunds


If your refund is short $1,400 then that is because you said you did not receive the 3rd stimulus payment and the IRS has records that show you were sent the 3rd stimulus payment so they removed the $1,400 Recovery Rebate Credit that was entered on Form 1040 Line 30.


Go to this IRS website for your tax account to see if the 3rd stimulus payment is entered - https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account

If you checked your bank account in the March - May 2021 timeframe and there is not a $1,400 EIP3 payment from the IRS then go to this IRS website for how to start a trace on the payment - https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/questions-and-answers-about-the-third-economic-impact-payment-topic-j-payment-issued-but-lost-stolen-destroyed-or-not-received

Returning Member
Mar 20, 2022 4:58:57 PM

I only ever got 2 stimulus last year. The $1800 and then $1400 but I am missing the 3rd 

Level 15
Mar 20, 2022 5:05:37 PM


@DonJohn wrote:

I only ever got 2 stimulus last year. The $1800 and then $1400 but I am missing the 3rd 


The third stimulus payment was $1,400 so you received it.

Returning Member
Mar 20, 2022 5:26:57 PM

How much and when was the first one then? Because I only ever received 2 amounts. 

Returning Member
Mar 20, 2022 6:10:42 PM

How much and when was the first one then? Because I only ever received $1800 and $1400 so that’s 2? 

Level 15
Mar 20, 2022 6:15:08 PM

Are  you Single?  The  very first one was 1200 and the second one was 600 = 1800.

 

EIP1 The first Stimulus payment was 1,200 for each spouse and 500 for each dependent under 17.


EIP2 The second Stimulus was 600 per person and dependents under 17. The 2nd stimulus checks started going out at the very end of December 2020 and continued into January/Feb 2021.


The first 2 Stimulus payments went on your 2020 return even if you got the second one in Jan/Feb 2021.

 

EIP3 The 3rd Stimulus payment started going out in March 2021 and is for 1,400 for each person listed on your tax return, no age limit. The IRS used your 2020 (or 2019) return to send the checks out fast. If your 2021 return changes and you qualify for more you can claim the extra as the Recovery Rebate Credit on 1040 line 30. But line 30 is only if you didn't get the full amount or qualify for more. Not the amount you already got. The IRS also sent out letter 6419 to tell you how much they sent you . If you are married then each spouse should get a letter for half.

Level 15
Mar 20, 2022 6:16:40 PM

If you didn't get the first and second payments separately you might have claimed them on your 2020 tax return and got a refund for the 1800 (1200+600).  

Returning Member
Mar 20, 2022 6:42:11 PM

I did receive $1800 then got the $1400 so I guess I did receive it all. Thanks for the help 

Level 2
Mar 20, 2022 8:44:28 PM

This is still a very unhelpful comment. I only received 2 stimulus payments. So they had no right to take ANY of MY money that they never even gave me in the first place. Soo...if this doesn't get resolved soon, I'm going to email every single person I can, every single day until my money gets put back into my account where it rightfully belongs. 

Level 15
Mar 20, 2022 8:54:56 PM

@Shannone_beall If the 3rd EIP was removed from your refund, it was removed by the IRS.

 

LOTS of people have made mistakes this year with the recovery rebate credit by "forgetting" that they received the $1400 per person stimulus checks last year.  They answered no to the questions for the  recovery recovery rebate credit and put the $1400 per person on line 30 of their returns.  But you cannot get it twice, so the IRS removes it when it is there by mistake.

 

 

 

Try checking your online account with the IRS

 

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

 

Does the IRS show that you received a $1400 stimulus or EIP check in 2021?   Did you receive it?   When you were asked on your tax return did you say no?   Was there $1400 on line 30 of your tax return?

 

If the IRS says you got $1400 last year but you did not receive it you can have it traced.

 

LOST THIRD STIMULUS CHECK

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

Level 2
Mar 20, 2022 9:01:29 PM

Except, I'd remember if I got a third payment of $1400. I did not. So, I didnt "forget" to put it on my taxes, the IRS and turbo taxes TPG banking, decided to take my money for no reason. 

Level 15
Mar 20, 2022 9:09:03 PM

@DonJohn If you received $1800---that was a combination of the 1st and 2nd EIP.   The $1400 was the third one.

 

The first EIP --or stimulus check--- was issued in 2020  It was for $1200 for adults and $500 for a dependent under the age of 17.   The IRS used information from either your 2019 or 2020 tax return to issue those checks so they could send them out in a hurry.

 

The 2nd EIP or stimulus was issued in late 2020 or early 2021 and was $600 for adults and $600 for dependents under age 17.

 

If you did not receive the 1st and/or 2nd stimulus check you can get it by filing a 2020 tax return and using the recovery rebate credit in Federal Review.   It will end up on line 30 of a 2020 tax return and will be added to your refund (or reduce your tax due).

 

The 3rd EIP--or stimulus check-- was sent out in mid-March or later in 2021 and was for $1400 per person--adults and dependents no age limit.

 

If you did not get the 3rd EIP payment you can get it by filing a 2021 tax return and using the recovery rebate credit in Federal Review.   The credit will go on line 30 of your Form 1040 and will add to your refund (or reduce your tax due).

Expert Alumni
Mar 23, 2022 8:53:13 AM

Thank you for posting the communication from the IRS so that we can see what people are seeing.  This standard communication was unhelpful to you and is unhelpful to others who post here.

 

If you did not receive $1,400 for the third stimulus payment, the IRS may think that you were already issued the third stimulus payment.

 

At your IRS online account, you can find whether a payment was issued to you that you did not receive.  You can also find this 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.

 

@Shannone_beall