I got my federal return and only got half of it. This has never happen before. Whats going on with IRS?

[joem82572]

I see alot of people having some problem. Why?

[Heather14 · Accepted solution]

I do not know the exact reason that the IRS did not refund the amount that you were expecting to receive, but one common reason that could have resulted in your refund being lower than you expected, is that your refund was reduced by the government, either to correct a calculation error or through a refund offset. 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.

You will receive a notice in the mail if an offset occurs. The notice will include the original tax refund amount and your offset amount. It will also include the agency receiving the offset payment and that agency’s contact information.

If you believe you do not owe the debt or you want to dispute the amount taken from your refund, you should contact the agency that received the offset amount.

If you have questions regarding the offset of your federal tax refund or offset of another U.S. government-issued payment, you can call the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) Call Center to obtain agency contact information during our  customer service hours .

Have Questions about an Offset?

• Toll Free: 800-304-3107
• TDD number: 866-297-0517

If you suspect your refund is being held, sometimes people make progress contacting their local IRS center or a Taxpayer Advocate.

Please see the link below to find your local Taxpayer Assistance Center.

https://apps.irs.gov/app/officeLocator/index.jsp

The link below will offer your more guidance on Taxpayer Advocates.

https://www.irs.gov/Advocate

[Bmeyn2]

BS answers. As this CAN be correct, it's NOT ALWAYS the answer. Be warned, everyone. Turbo tax is taking people's money. I literally just called the IRS with this same problem and I have NO OFFSETS OR DEBTS and they told me to call Turbo Tax. Raise hell and get your money!

[Jpezlo0609]

Did you ever get an answer from turbo tax?

[CassLO]

@Jpezlo0609  TurboTax does not receive any updates regarding tax returns once it is "accepted" by the IRS. It sounds like this is due to a refund offset.

Please see the TurboTax FAQ below for more information:

Why is my direct-deposited refund or check lower than the amount in TurboTax?

If this is the case, you will be receiving a letter from the IRS in a few weeks explaining the difference. 

For additional information, you would have to contact the IRS directly.

How do I contact the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)?

Note: 

You will need to follow the prompts in order to speak to an IRS agent. There is a high call volume this time of year.

When calling the IRS do NOT choose Option 1.   

Choose Option 2 after you choose the language.   

Then Press 1    

Then Press 3   

Then Press 2, it will then transfer you to an agent.  

[JimBob5]

Why would TurboTax suggest the issue is caused by a delinquent obligation, wouldnt the tax payer already know this and thus they wouldn't need to inquire why their refund was slashed by 50%?

Jesus Christ that's a stupid answer.

I used TurboTax and the actual refund was less by 50% than what TurboTax stated. TurboTax can put any refund amount on your return as they know the IRS is going to correct their mistake.  Then as you can see it becomes a mystery explainable only by the IRS. 

Dont use TurboTax.

[JimBob5]

TurboTax knows the IRS will correct their intentional mistake and reduce your refund by applicable amounts. What idiot tells you your refund was reduced because you could have had a delinquent debt. What idiots does know he owes the IRS money? Dont use TurboTax.

[macuser_22]

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@JimBob5 wrote:

Why would TurboTax suggest the issue is caused by a delinquent obligation, wouldnt the tax payer already know this and thus they wouldn't need to inquire why their refund was slashed by 50%?

Jesus Christ that's a stupid answer.

I used TurboTax and the actual refund was less by 50% than what TurboTax stated. TurboTax can put any refund amount on your return as they know the IRS is going to correct their mistake.  Then as you can see it becomes a mystery explainable only by the IRS. 

Dont use TurboTax.

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You are replying to a year old post.

TurboTax does not know the reason - the answer above only suggested a possible reason.  If the IRS reduces your refund then they will tell you why in a letter in 2-5 weeks (they are way behind and running slow this year because of COVID)

[JimBob5]

What difference is the age of the posting you moron?   Now you act just like TurboTax "You may have had a delinquent debt". Jesus, wouldn't a tax filer know of an IRS delinquent debt against them and therefore not require any explanation from the shysters at TurboTax.

I responded because that is exactly what TurboTax did with me. They submitted a 2020 tax return that contained a refund that was overstated by 50%. This caused my tax return to sit in limbo while TurboTax extracted cash from my checking account. Low and behold as soon as TurboTax extracted their fee based on an incorrect filing the IRS tells me my refund is wrong and needs to be slashed by 50%.  What timing!

TurboTax can tell their customer any refund amount because they know the IRS is going to amend it.

DONT USE TURBOTAX, they're stealing from you. 

[JimBob5]

Genius, we know TurboTax doesn't know the answer, they cant even file an accurate tax return. Their customer service rep told me "we only provide the software and it's your job to verify the accuracy". They are UNBELIEVEABLE. I asked her how TurboTax could just go into my checking account and extract fees, fees that were to be paid from the non existent IRS refund that disappeared as soon as it came under the scrutiny of the tax  professionals at the IRS and she responded "Read the fine print".

But there was no 2020 tax refund. TurboTax submitted a return with a hefty IRS refund but this bit of fiction was stopped by IRS auditors and amended down to "ZERO".

Stay away from TURBOTAX, they have a license to steal from you. 

[mobe1221]

Intuit mint kept it.  Our returns went to the IRS and since we agreed to a fee it was then sent to Intuit mint and they gave themselves one heck of a tip.  I'm never using turbo tax again.

[JordanH1]

I’m in the same boat. Very frustrating. 

[LindseyLO]

More details and assistance on why your refund may have been lower than expected has been provided by clicking here. Also, the TurboTax FAQ provided below will give you some more reasons as to why it may have been lower than expected. 

Why did my refund go down compared to last year's?