Dependent received 2021 refund check in mail for Earned Income Credit?

[slamantia1971]

My 19 year old daughter recevied a check out of nowhere from the IRS for $1,209 stating "we made the changes you requested to your 2021 Form 1040 to adjust your earned income credit".  I filed my taxes for my daughter using TT online.  I confirmed that the return stated that she is a dependent on someone else's return (mine) and did not claim the EIC.   I never requested any changes.  Am I missing something?   Will this get adjusted somehow when she does her 2022 taxes?

[KrisD15]

I would not just ignore this. 

I would not cash the check and I would get in contact with the IRS to clear this up. 

Respond to the IRS letter and search for a tax advocate in your area. 

This does not necessarily sound like a scam, but it does not sound right. 

A dependent is not eligible for an Earned Income Tax Credit. 

Talk with your daughter to see if she somehow filed an amended return.

 IRS Taxpayer Advocate link

[slamantia1971]

Thanks for your reply.  The refund check came 3 weeks before the explanation letter arrived, so she did deposit it.   There was no way for us to determine what the refund was for until we got the letter.  I examined the check and it has all of the proper IRS watermarks etc. 

I will help her contact the IRS - but admittedly dreading the process and time it is going to take to resolve their error.