I
do not know the exact reason that the IRS did not refund the amount that you
were expecting to receive, but one common reason that could have resulted in
your refund being lower than you expected, is that your refund was reduced
by the government to correct a calculation error, correct a
discrepancy between information reported on your return and information
reported to them from other sources, or through a refund offset. A
refund offset is when an IRS refund is reduced or intercepted to pay off debt,
such as past-due child support, outstanding student loans, or unpaid state
income tax.
You
will receive a notice in the mail if an adjustment or offset occurs. The notice will
include the original tax refund amount and the revised amount. It will also
include the agency receiving the offset payment and that agency’s contact
information. If you believe you do not owe the debt or you want to dispute the
amount taken from your refund, you should contact the agency that received the
offset amount.
If
you have questions regarding the offset of your federal tax refund or offset of
another U.S. government-issued payment, you can call the Treasury Offset
Program (TOP) Call Center to obtain agency contact information during our
customer service hours.
Have
Questions about an Offset?
•
Toll Free: 800-304-3107
•
TDD number: 866-297-0517
More
information about refund offsets can be found in the following IRS Tax Topic:
Tax Topic 203 - Refund Offsets for Unpaid Child Support, Certain Federal and State
Debts, and Unemployment Compensation Debts.
The
IRS Where's My Refund tool
will contain a disclaimer if your refund may have been offset. You'll get an
explanatory letter from the government if your refund differs from what was on
your filed return.
If
you suspect your refund is being held, sometimes people make progress
contacting their local IRS center or a Taxpayer Advocate.
Please
see the link below to find your local Taxpayer Assistance Center.
https://apps.irs.gov/app/officeLocator/index.jsp
The
link below will offer your more guidance on Taxpayer Advocates.
https://www.irs.gov/Advocate
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