The IRS will contact you by mail to explain why they changed your tax return which reduced the tax refund.
Go to this IRS website for federal tax refund FAQ's - https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions
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 Unemployment Compensation Debts has more information about refund offsets.
The IRS will contact you by mail to explain why they changed your tax return which reduced the tax refund.
Go to this IRS website for federal tax refund FAQ's - https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions
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 Unemployment Compensation Debts has more information about refund offsets.
Thanks for the response! Is there any way to dispute it? Does Turbo Tax offer any support?
If you disagree with the IRS you can dispute their findings.
If you purchased the Max Benefits option which includes Audit Defense then they can contact the IRS on your behalf based on the IRS notice you receive.
If you did not purchase Audit Defense then you can use the TurboTax Audit Support Center which can be used to review your tax return and the IRS letter you received. They can advise you on what your next steps should be but they cannot contact the IRS on your behalf.
TurboTax Audit Support Center - <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://support.turbotax.intuit.com/irs-notice/audit-support/">https://support.turbotax.intuit.com/irs-notice/audit-support/</a>
CAN YOU TELL ME WHY RETURN ON TURBO TAX READ 3226 AND IRS SENT ME LESS THANKS ED SLABINSKI
@EDSLAB wrote:
CAN YOU TELL ME WHY RETURN ON TURBO TAX READ 3226 AND IRS SENT ME LESS THANKS ED SLABINSKI
Once a tax return has been Accepted by the IRS or a State, TurboTax receives no further information concerning the tax return or the status of any tax refund.
Go to this IRS website for federal tax refund FAQ's - https://www.irs.gov/refunds/tax-season-refund-frequently-asked-questions
All or part of your refund, including any amount for the Recovery Rebate Credit, 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. This may include corrections to any incorrect Recovery Rebate Credit amount. 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 Unemployment Compensation Debts has more information about refund offsets.
My state refund was reduced and I would like to know why ?
You will need to contact your State Dept of Revenue to find out why your State refund was reduced.
All off sets are suspend until July 2022..
Turbo tax is doing something wrong...
I would start working on a fix now.
https://www.tateesq.com/learn/tax-refund-offset-reversal
@yoshi201 wrote:
All off sets are suspend until July 2022..
Turbo tax is doing something wrong...
I would start working on a fix now.
https://www.tateesq.com/learn/tax-refund-offset-reversal
TurboTax has nothing to do with offsets on a federal tax return. Offsets are done by the IRS.
The IRS will hold off on offsets for student loan debt until May 1, 2022. All other debts will be offset by the IRS.
I have not received an email from the IRS on why some of my Federal return was taken.
@DanteTOR wrote:
I have not received an email from the IRS on why some of my Federal return was taken.
The IRS does not send emails to taxpayers.
The IRS will be sending a letter in the mail to the address on the tax return explaining the changes they made to the tax return which changed the federal tax refund. The IRS may take several weeks before sending the letter.
@miguelapodaca wrote:
Federal income tax reduced why
The IRS will be sending you a letter in the mail explaining what they changed on your tax return to reduce the federal tax refund.
Once a tax return has been Accepted by the IRS or a State, TurboTax receives no further information concerning the tax return or the status of any tax refund.
The most common reasons for an adjustment of your refund are because taxpayers reported the wrong amount of stimulus or advanced child tax credit payments.
The IRS will send you a letter explaining the change.
My refund was reduced from 4729 to 1929 and I'm not sure why. I need to find out why. I know the refund was taken by child support. But I want to know why the irs changed the amount. Is it because of my dependent?
If your refund is short $2,800 then that is because you said you did not receive the 3rd stimulus payment and the IRS has records that show you were sent the 3rd stimulus payment so they removed the $2,800 Recovery Rebate Credit that was entered on Form 1040 Line 30.
Go to this IRS website for your tax account to see if the 3rd stimulus payment is entered - https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account
If you are Married Filing Jointly also check your spouse's tax account.
If you checked your bank account in the March - May 2021 timeframe and there is not a $2,800 EIP3 payment from the IRS then go to this IRS website for how to start a trace on the payment - https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/questions-and-answers-about-the-third-economic-impact-payment-topic-j-payment-issued-but-lost-stolen-destroyed-or-not-received
so now what, my federal retun was reduced and deposited into my checking account. reduced by > 50%. no letter from the IRS, their "help" website indicates that the IRS needs additonal information and this will be sent in a letter. I live in Chicago where the reliability of the postal service is approximatley 75% so it is likely I will NEVER get a letter. how do I find out:
1. Why was my turbotax prepared refud amount reduced.
2. what information does the IRS need so I can get the remaoinder.
3. how do I not rely on the USPS for communication for this information.
Letter? snail mail? in areas of the country where mail reliabiloity is no more than 75%? in Chicago, mail carriers are regulary cuaght, but never terminated, for throwing mail in a dumpster and taking the afterooon off. that is where my IRS letter probably is. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN NO LETTER SHOWS UP (my case) and now I have no way of finding out why my retrun was reduced?
NO letter recived and frustrating becuase I have no child support obligations and never recived any Covid aid. this is not unusual, my mail is at best 75% reliable in Chicago. how can I request another letter? or send two more, maybe one will actually show up in my mailbox?
It might help you to check your online account with the IRS. You will be able to see if the IRS says they sent you a stimulus check that you think you did not receive, among other things.
TurboTax does not get any information from the IRS after you file your tax return, so no one at TT knows why your refund was less.
You have not mentioned any specific amounts. Sometimes we can make an educated guess as to the reason for your reduced refund if you mention specific amounts--for example if your refund was short by $1400---it is likely to be a mix up regarding the 3rd EIP payment. If it is short by $1800 or $1500 or a multiple of that amount --- maybe a mixup regarding the advance child tax credit payments. Or---the fees you were supposed to pay for using TurboTax + the "refund processing fee" charged by the third party bank….
Did you choose to have TT fees deducted from your Federal refund? (Remember that if you did that, you also agreed to an extra refund processing fee of $39.99 or $44.99 in CA)
How can I see my TurboTax fees?
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2565973-how-do-i-review-my-fees-in-turbotax-online
What is Refund Processing Service?
The IRS will send you a letter that explains why your refund was reduced. Meanwhile 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/
My refund was reduced by exactly $1941.25. I have 0 child support obligations. I was NOT eligible nor did I recieve any Covid releif or stimulus. I have no idea why my federal return was reduced. On the "wheres my refund" link the only thing it states is the IRS would be sending me a letter requesting more information. No letter and low confidence there will be a letter given the trajedy or abhorrent USPS service where I live (and pay taxes) what other means are there: email, live chat, phone(!!), smoke signals for me to find out why the IRS reduced my return and what I need to provide to get this cleared up?
@jgk116 We cannot fix the unreliable mail service you cite. You cannot email or live chat with the IRS. You can try calling the IRS. It is quite difficult to get through to the IRS---we hear anecdotally that calling a 7 a.m. might work better.
To call the IRS:IRS: 800-829-1040 hours 7 AM - 7 PM local time Mon-Fri
Listen to each menu before making the selection.
First choose your language. Press 1 for English.
Then do NOT choose the first choice re: "Refund", or it will send you to an automated phone line.
Instead, press 2 for "personal income tax".
Then press 1 for "form, tax history, or payment".
Then press 3 "for all other questions."
Then press 2 "for all other questions." It should then transfer you to an agent.
Thank you for your specific help on how to ask for getting input on what is needed by the IRS. This reduction is is odd because I 1). am empty nester, no child tax credit 2.) no child support 3.) no Covid relief/stimulus. 4.) Return was done on Turbotax with imported data so unlikely a math error.
as for the USPS: I realize you cannot help, that is just me making an editorial comment and wondering why the IRS relies excusively on what is becoming more like a third world manual system ...that they run...ok...maybe that is why 🙂
@jgk116 I am now curious as to why you did not receive the stimulus checks.] You say you did not get them. Were you ineligible for some reason? You would only be ineligible if either you are claimed as someone else's dependent or if your income was too high to receive the stimulus money. The IRS sent out three stimulus checks---did you not receive any of those?
The first EIP --or stimulus check--- was issued in 2020 It was for $1200 for adults and $500 for a dependent under the age of 17. The IRS used information from either your 2019 or 2020 tax return to issue those checks so they could send them out in a hurry.
The 2nd EIP or stimulus was issued in late 2020 or early 2021 and was $600 for adults and $600 for dependents under age 17.
If you did not receive the 1st and/or 2nd stimulus check you can get it by filing a 2020 tax return and using the recovery rebate credit in Federal Review. It will end up on line 30 of a 2020 tax return and will be added to your refund (or reduce your tax due).
The 3rd EIP--or stimulus check-- was sent out in mid-March or later in 2021 and was for $1400 per person--adults and dependents no age limit.
If you did not get the 3rd EIP payment you can get it by filing a 2021 tax return and using the recovery rebate credit in Federal Review. The credit will go on line 30 of your Form 1040 and will add to your refund (or reduce your tax due).
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/dependents/help/what-are-the-eligibility-rules-for-the-recovery-rebate-credit/00/2320540