My tax return is way smaller than I was told by your software and I don't know why. The software is saying 451, but we only had a direct deposit of $280.

[SweetieJean]

One possibility why your deposited amount is less than your expected refund is that you used the Refund Processing Service to pay your TurboTax Online fees. If so, your TurboTax fee plus the additional processing fee of $34.99 ($39.99 in California) plus sales tax is deducted from your Federal tax refund.

Another possibility is that your refund was reduced by the government, either to correct an error or through a refund offset. The IRS Where's My Refund tool will let you know if your refund have been offset.

You'll get an explanatory letter from the government if your refund differs from what was on your filed return.

Federal and state refunds are sent separately, each on its own timetable, so you may have gotten one but not the other.

[bergeron221]

Details: We changed the amount claimed as Recovery Rebate Credit on your tax return. The error was in one or more of the following: The Social Security number of one or more individuals claimed as a qualifying dependent was missing or incomplete. The last name of one or more individuals claimed as a qualifying dependent does not match our records. One or more individuals claimed as a qualifying dependent exceeds the age limit. Your adjusted gross income exceeds $75,000 ($150,000 if married filing jointly, $112,500 if head of household). The amount was computed incorrectly.

[bergeron221]

Our AGI is correct with Married Filing Jointly.  SSN wrong or incomplete??  Wrong last name???  All of these things were checked by me AND Turbo Tax (said) they checked my return for errors as well before I electronically submitted it.  These are not the type of errors that are simple ones, something is not right. 

IRS reduced my return by over 2,000

[SweetieJean]

@bergeron221 The IRS will be sending you a letter. They do not notify TT, but they may have adjusted the stimulus and/or advanced Child Tax Credit.

While TT does check for errors; it cannot know if you made a data entry mistake, forgot to claim some income, or misclaimed a deduction/credit.