@7Reedsrcamping This thread is full of posts from multiple users. It is impossible to tell what "exact message" you are referring to. But it sounds like the IRS adjusted your 2021 refund by quite a lot----right? A lot of people made mistakes on their 2021 returns. Many of the mistakes made were incorrect answers about the recovery rebate credit or the advance child tax credit payments. The IRS looked very carefully at amounts on lines 28 or 30 on your tax return, and if you made mistakes they reduced your refund.
The advance child tax credit payments were sent out between July and December 2021, and the IRS sent letter 6419 to each parent who received those payments. The amounts from those letters was supposed to be entered on your tax return, so that you would receive only the other "half" of the total amount for the child tax credit payment. It went on line 28.
The IRS also sent out letter 6475 to each spouse who received the 3rd stimulus payment of $1400 per person, and that information was to be entered when you went through Federal Review. If you answered incorrectly and said you did not receive the $1400 per person when you really did receive it, you put an amount on line 30 that the IRS would have taken notice of and removed from your refund.
When the IRS reduced your refund they sent you a letter to explain; but some of the letters were so generic they just confused everyone more.
if your refund was short by $1400 per person---it is likely to be a mix up regarding the 3rd EIP payment. If you received the 3rd stimulus check of $1400 per person in 2021 then you got letter 6475 from the IRS about it. You needed to enter the amount you received. If you already received that money then line 30 on your Form 1040 should have been blank.
If it is short by $1800 or $1500 or a multiple of that amount --- maybe a mixup regarding the advance child tax credit payments. If you received monthly child tax credit payments of $250 or $300 per month between July and December of 2021, then you got letter 6419 from the IRS, and you were required to enter the amount of the advance payments. Only the remaining amount of the CTC should have been on line 28 of your Form 1040.
The IRS knows how much they sent to you for the 3rd stimulus check and they know how much they sent for advance child tax credit payments. If you answered something incorrectly on your tax return then the IRS made a correction that resulted in a reduced refund for you.
It might help you to check your online IRS account.
https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account
https://blog.turbotax.intuit.com/tax-refunds/why-is-my-tax-refund-not-what-i-expected-49240/
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/questions-and-answers-about-the-third-round-economic-impact-payment-top...
If you need to trace a payment that the IRS says has been issued to you, mail or fax a completed IRS Form 3911, Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund.
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
