Refund amount is different

4 replies
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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?

DoninGA

Level 15

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 changes. Where’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.

mthomp3763

Level 2

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?

DanaB27

Employee Tax Expert

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

@mthomp3763

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Texas Roger

Level 15

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.