Unemployment Exclusion

[DigMeDeb]

I have been patiently waiting on my unemployment exclusion refund to come in for the $10,200.  I filed my taxes back in February 2021 and got my refund before they came out with the exclusion.  Everything I read says NOT to file an amended return and yet I still have not received the refund that the IRS says they will send automatically if you are eligible (It's now 2022!).  The IRS wrote in documetns that they completed all of the "easy" returns by last May or so and then worked on the complicated.  Believe me, my return is simple and and my AGI is welllll below the $150,000.  Everything I read says do not amend yet here it is 2022 and I still have not received my federal refund for the $10,200 exclusion.  Should I go ahead and amend the return?  I don't see where to amend it in Turbotax Deluxe as it just says the same thing, the IRS will do it.  I have my account set up on the IRS website so I can review all my payments, refunds, etc. and it's not missing in the direct deposit lalaland.  Should I file an amended return anyway?  Soon I will be filing my 2022 taxes in another month and a half. Please help.  P.S. I live in Hawaii but that shouldn't matter for the Federal refund due.

[xmasbaby0]

Since it is taking the IRS upwards of about six months to process amended returns you should just wait.   They are still working on the rest of the extra refunds that need to go out to people who paid federal tax on the first $10,200 of unemployment.

You will get an additional federal income tax refund for the unemployment exclusion if all of the following are true.

• You reported unemployment benefits as income on your 2020 tax return, on Schedule 1 line 7.
• You did not get the unemployment exclusion on the 2020 tax return that you filed. The unemployment exclusion would appear as a negative amount on Schedule 1 line 8, with the abbreviation UCE on the dotted line to the left of the amount.
• Your tax on Form 1040 line 16 is not zero.
• Your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), not including unemployment, is less than $150,000.

[ThomasM125]

You should not have to amend your return and it might make matters worse if you do that, as it can create unnecessary confusion.

I suggest you contact your local IRS office and request an appointment to discuss your refund. You should bring a copy of your tax return with you. This way you will have a live person who you can follow up with if necessary.

You can also call the IRS if you prefer, at 1-800-829-1040. 

[DigMeDeb]

Yeah, six months would have been last August.  It's been 11 months.  And my return is a very basic return.  

All four of those items listed are true.