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Level 1
April 29, 2020
Question

Refund amount is different

  • April 29, 2020
  • 2 replies
  • 9 views

I filed 2019 tax with Turbox tax and they were approved. I then received a different refund amount for federal than the amount on return that I filed. Why? I got no notification of any changes. Can TurboTax help? 

    2 replies

    DoninGA
    Level 15
    Level 15
    April 29, 2020

    Go to this IRS website for federal tax refund FAQ's - https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions

     

    Why is my refund different than the amount on the tax return I filed?
    All or part of your refund may have been used (offset) to pay off past-due federal tax, state income tax, state unemployment compensation debts, child support, spousal support, or other federal nontax debts, such as student loans. To find out if you may have an offset or if you have questions about an offset, contact the agency to which you owe the debt.

    We also may have changed your refund amount because we made changes to your tax return. You’ll get a notice explaining the changesWhere’s My Refund? will reflect the reasons for the refund offset when it relates to a change in your tax return.

    Tax Topic 203 - Refund Offsets for Unpaid Child Support, Certain Federal and State Debts, and Unemployment Compensation Debts has more information about refund offsets.

    Level 2
    April 23, 2021

    My refund was actually larger than what was submitted via TurboTax.  What path does the IRS use to communicate the reason for the amount changing?

    Level 15
    April 25, 2021

    You should get an explanation letter in the mail from the IRS why your refund changed.

     

    @mthomp3763

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    Level 15
    April 29, 2020

    If you had your TurboTax fees paid from your federal refund, the fees plus a $40 charge for using that service will be deducted from your refund amount shown on your tax return. You can see what your fees were by using this link: 

    https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2565973-how-do-i-review-my-fees-in-turbotax-online

     

    If you did not use that service, then the IRS may have offset some of your refund for a specific reason. Here are some of the reasons refunds are offset: https://taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/get-help/offsets

     

    You should receive a notice from the IRS within a couple of weeks explaining the reason for the offset.