How to report duplicate payment of CARES deferred social security taxes on my 2022 return

[johnny49]

TurboTax generated a deferral of the employer portion of my self-employed social security taxes in 2020, as it should.  I received two notices about payment of the deferred amount from IRS, one addressed to me and one to my wife.  I paid them both in 2022.  Then, in early 2023, I received a check from IRS for one of those payments.  It was labeled "Tax Refund".

Should I claim that extra payment in my 2020 tax return to account for the "Tax Refund" they will say they paid me in 2023?

[JulieS]

No, you may not have to report this as income and definitely not by amending your 2020 tax return. 

If  you claimed the payments as a business expense on your 2022 tax return, you need to report the refund as "Other income - taxable recovery" on your 2023 tax return. 

If you didn't claim the payments as a business expense, you don't need to report the refund. 

For your future reference, if you filed a joint return the IRS will always send a copy of the letter to both spouses. If it happens again, just pay one of them.