Why would the amount of my California State Refund direct deposited into my account be less than what my TurboTax account says it should be?

[stevekom]

Turbotax shows my CA Refund at $4251 with Return Status as Accepted.  Yet, I just got my refund posted to my checking account and it's only $3452.  That's a difference of $799.  What gives?

[DoninGA]

California FTB changed your tax return so that the state tax refund you received was less than what was entered on the state tax return that was filed.  You will receive a letter in the mail within a few weeks from the FTB informing you of what was changed to arrive at the reduced refund.

[ChristieB · Accepted solution]

The state could have made a change to your return that has impacted your refund, or they could need more information to finish processing part of your refund. Another possibility is that it was partly taken in order to offset a prior debt owed.

In all of the situations above, you will receive a letter explaining exactly what happened, what additional information they might need (if any) and contact information. You could also call your state tax department before receiving this letter, they might be able to access your account and explain what happened.