topic Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be?? in After you file

My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

Shannone_beall — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:49:21 GMT

I filed my taxes Feb 1st and did the 21 day return and hit the button to have the fees taken out of my taxes. I waited over a month to get my tax refund back and when I did it was $1500 under what I was supposed to get. Everytime I tried calling someone, I got the same response of "call again tomorrow" by an automated voice. I just want the rest of my money please.

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

Nikko0707 — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 01:38:55 GMT

I got the same thing when I called. It also said I should be getting a letter from the IRS as well, and that hasn't happened yet either! It's so frustrating

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

ee-ea — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 01:39:06 GMT

See this

https://blog.turbotax.intuit.com/tax-refunds/why-is-my-tax-refund-not-what-i-expected-49240/

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

DoninGA — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 01:39:25 GMT

Does the IRS website indicate that you were sent less than what was reported on your federal tax return Form 1040 Line 34? - https://www.irs.gov/refunds

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

Nikko0707 — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 01:45:21 GMT

This is all it says. None of which apply to me

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

Shannone_beall — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 01:50:03 GMT

This is all mine said. And none apply to me either.

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

egc2019 — Sat, 19 Mar 2022 21:54:53 GMT

same here. very confused because it said i should be receiving the 3rd stimulus in my tax return but i haven’t. i got my refund back but am missing the extra 1400

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

DoninGA — Sat, 19 Mar 2022 21:57:18 GMT

@egc2019 wrote:

same here. very confused because it said i should be receiving the 3rd stimulus in my tax return but i haven’t. i got my refund back but am missing the extra 1400

Does the IRS website indicate that you were sent less than what was reported on your federal tax return Form 1040 Line 34? - https://www.irs.gov/refunds

If your refund is short $1,400 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 $1,400 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 checked your bank account in the March - May 2021 timeframe and there is not a $1,400 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

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

Shannone_beall — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 05:43:57 GMT

Except, I only ever got 2 stimulus payments? So what you wrote does not apply to me.

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

DonJohn — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 22:27:50 GMT

Me too. I am also missing the 3rd stimulus ($1400) I got everything but that and today marks a month since filling and still no update or anything

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

DoninGA — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 22:41:17 GMT

@DonJohn wrote:

Me too. I am also missing the 3rd stimulus ($1400) I got everything but that and today marks a month since filling and still no update or anything

Does the IRS website indicate that you were sent less than what was reported on your federal tax return Form 1040 Line 34? - https://www.irs.gov/refunds

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

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

DonJohn — Sun, 20 Mar 2022 23:58:57 GMT

I only ever got 2 stimulus last year. The $1800 and then $1400 but I am missing the 3rd

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

DoninGA — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 00:05:37 GMT

@DonJohn wrote:

I only ever got 2 stimulus last year. The $1800 and then $1400 but I am missing the 3rd

The third stimulus payment was $1,400 so you received it.

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

DonJohn — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 00:26:57 GMT

How much and when was the first one then? Because I only ever received 2 amounts.

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

DonJohn — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 01:10:42 GMT

How much and when was the first one then? Because I only ever received $1800 and $1400 so that’s 2?

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

VolvoGirl — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 01:15:08 GMT

Are you Single? The very first one was 1200 and the second one was 600 = 1800.

EIP1 The first Stimulus payment was 1,200 for each spouse and 500 for each dependent under 17.

EIP2 The second Stimulus was 600 per person and dependents under 17. The 2nd stimulus checks started going out at the very end of December 2020 and continued into January/Feb 2021.

The first 2 Stimulus payments went on your 2020 return even if you got the second one in Jan/Feb 2021.

EIP3 The 3rd Stimulus payment started going out in March 2021 and is for 1,400 for each person listed on your tax return, no age limit. The IRS used your 2020 (or 2019) return to send the checks out fast. If your 2021 return changes and you qualify for more you can claim the extra as the Recovery Rebate Credit on 1040 line 30. But line 30 is only if you didn't get the full amount or qualify for more. Not the amount you already got. The IRS also sent out letter 6419 to tell you how much they sent you . If you are married then each spouse should get a letter for half.

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

VolvoGirl — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 01:16:40 GMT

If you didn't get the first and second payments separately you might have claimed them on your 2020 tax return and got a refund for the 1800 (1200+600).

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

DonJohn — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 01:42:11 GMT

I did receive $1800 then got the $1400 so I guess I did receive it all. Thanks for the help

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

Shannone_beall — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 03:44:28 GMT

This is still a very unhelpful comment. I only received 2 stimulus payments. So they had no right to take ANY of MY money that they never even gave me in the first place. Soo...if this doesn't get resolved soon, I'm going to email every single person I can, every single day until my money gets put back into my account where it rightfully belongs.

Re: My tax refund is smaller than it should be??

xmasbaby0 — Mon, 21 Mar 2022 03:54:56 GMT

@Shannone_beall If the 3rd EIP was removed from your refund, it was removed by the IRS.

LOTS of people have made mistakes this year with the recovery rebate credit by "forgetting" that they received the $1400 per person stimulus checks last year. They answered no to the questions for the recovery recovery rebate credit and put the $1400 per person on line 30 of their returns. But you cannot get it twice, so the IRS removes it when it is there by mistake.

Try checking your online account with the IRS

https://www.irs.gov/payments/your-online-account

Does the IRS show that you received a $1400 stimulus or EIP check in 2021? Did you receive it? When you were asked on your tax return did you say no? Was there $1400 on line 30 of your tax return?

If the IRS says you got $1400 last year but you did not receive it you can have it traced.

LOST THIRD STIMULUS CHECK

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