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Why Is My Tax Refund Less Than What I Expected?

Updated: 10/29/2009
Article ID: 2981

There are a number of reasons why a taxpayer's refund can be reduced (or claimed) by the IRS including:

  • Problems related to reporting of 2008 tax rebates, or stimulus payments. Learn more.

Other common reasons include:

  • Additional tax liability found in current year tax return
  • Past due child support payments were collected
  • Debt owed to another federal agency was collected
  • Past due state income tax was collected

If the tax refund amount you received is different than what you were expecting, you will receive a letter from the IRS that explains why your refund amount was changed. It may take one to two months after you filed your income tax return to receive formal notification from the IRS regarding your tax refund.

If you feel that the IRS was wrong to reduce your tax refund, you can call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. TurboTax Support does not have information about why your refund amount might be different, or about any tax refund disputes you may have with the IRS. You must contact the IRS directly for a resolution.

Taxpayer Advocate Service

If you feel that your tax refund was reduced in error by the IRS, you can call the IRS' Taxpayer Advocate Service at 1-877-777-4778, or visit the Taxpayer Advocate web site at http://www.irs.gov/advocate to get assistance. Established in 2000, the Taxpayer Advocate Service is an independent body within the IRS that can help you resolve any tax related problems that you may have with the IRS free of charge.

For more information about tax refunds, see Tax Topic 152 - Refund Information on the IRS' web site.

 


 

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