One possibility is that you used the Refund Processing Service to pay your TurboTax Online fees. If you did, your TurboTax fee plus the additional processing fee is deducted from your federal tax refund. Another possibility is that your refund was reduced by the government, either to correct a calculation error or through a refund offset. You’ll get an explanatory letter from the government if your refund differs from what was on your filed return.
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 Unempl... has more information about refund offsets.
