Why am I getting a DEO overpayment notice when I reported everything correctly?

DON'T PANIC! This happens more often than you'd think. First thing, appeal this determination IMMEDIATELY. You only have 20 days from the date on the determination letter. File the appeal through CONNECT under the 'Determination, Pending Issue and Decision Summary' section.\n\nBased on what you described, it sounds like there might be a wage discrepancy between what you reported and what your employer reported to DEO on their quarterly wage reports. This happens all the time, especially with part-time or variable hours work. \n\nWhile waiting for the appeal hearing, gather ALL documentation you have:\n- Pay stubs from the weeks in question\n- Bank statements showing deposits\n- Screenshots or records of what you reported each week\n- Any communication with your employer about hours/wages\n\nThe burden of proof will be on DEO to show you intentionally misreported, not on you to prove innocence.

Thank you so much for the quick response! I just checked and the determination letter is dated March 15, 2025, so I still have time to appeal. Will do that today.\n\nOne question - when I file the appeal, should I write a detailed explanation or just say I disagree with the determination? Also, do you know how long appeals typically take? I'm worried they'll start collection activity before the appeal is resolved.

omg same thing just happend to me last month!! they said i owed like $3200 but i swear i reported everything right too. its so frustrating when ur trying to do the right thing and they still come after u

What did you end up doing about it? Did you file an appeal?

yep i appealed it. still waiting for my hearing date. the scary thing is they keep sending me payment demand notices while im waiting. i called like 50 times and could never get through to anyone!!

I had the same issue with trying to reach someone about my overpayment. After days of failed attempts, I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) and actually got through to a live agent in about 20 minutes! They were able to put a hold on my collection notices until my appeal was processed. There's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj. Definitely worth it when you're dealing with thousands in potential overpayments and can't get answers.

The DEO system is DESIGNED to create overpayments!!! They make it intentionally confusing so people make mistakes, then they can claim fraud and demand money back. I've seen this happen to DOZENS of honest people in Florida. They know most people won't fight it because the appeal process is so complicated and time-consuming. It's a revenue generator for them, plain and simple.\n\nAnd don't get me started on their \

While I understand your frustration, this isn't entirely accurate. Most overpayment issues stem from misunderstandings or system limitations rather than malicious intent. The DEO is required by federal law to recover improper payments, whether they were the result of fraud or honest mistakes.\n\nDuring the appeal process, they absolutely do need to provide evidence. If they can't, the claimant typically wins. I've seen many successful appeals when the person had proper documentation.

I'm an employment attorney who handles a lot of DEO cases, and I can tell you that overpayment notices often contain mistakes. Here are the most common reasons people get incorrect overpayment notices:\n\n1. Wage reporting timing issues - employers report quarterly, but you report weekly. This timing mismatch creates conflicts.\n\n2. Employer misreporting - businesses sometimes report wages in the wrong quarter.\n\n3. DEO calculation errors - especially with partial earnings and the earnings disregard formula.\n\n4. System glitches during certification submission.\n\n5. Misunderstanding of what constitutes \

Thank you for this detailed information! I think #1 might be what happened in my case. I worked variable hours each week at a restaurant, sometimes just 5-10 hours, other weeks 25+. I reported exactly what I earned each week, but maybe the quarterly total from my employer doesn't match perfectly with how I allocated it week by week?\n\nHow do I make a formal records request to see what they're using against me?

You can make the records request directly on your appeal form. Just include a statement like: \

my sister had the exact same situation last year with her serving job and weird hours. she won her appeal but it took almost 3 months to get resolved. the whole time deo kept sending threatening letters saying they were gonna take her tax refund if she didnt pay. so stressful!!

Am I the only 1 who thinks its weird they never tell u EXACTLY what income they think u didnt report??? like how r we supposed to defend ourselves if they dont tell us what we supposedly did wrong???

EXACTLY!! It's like getting a speeding ticket that doesn't tell you when or where you were speeding! Total GARBAGE system designed to confuse people. By the time you finally get the actual details at an appeal hearing, you've already stressed for months. And if you miss any deadlines while trying to figure it out, TOO BAD FOR YOU!

One more important thing to know: if your appeal is denied, you can request a waiver of the overpayment if it wasn't your fault AND repayment would cause financial hardship. The form is called \

That's really helpful to know about the waiver option as a backup plan. I'm definitely going to appeal first though. I just submitted my appeal and requested all their documentation. Now I guess I wait for them to schedule a hearing?\n\nI'm gathering all my pay stubs and bank statements now. I also found screenshots I took of my weekly certification submissions, thank goodness! Hopefully those will help prove I reported everything correctly at the time.

This happened to my cousin and turns out it was because his employer reported his vacation payout as regular wages and he didn't know he had to report that. Not sure if that helps your situation but just mentioning it as another possibility.

That's interesting - I didn't have any vacation payout, but it makes me wonder if there was some kind of bonus or adjustment I didn't realize counted as wages. Although I'm pretty sure I would have noticed an extra $4,800! But thanks for sharing that example.

I fought and won an overpayment case last year. My advice is to call DEO directly and ask for the specific weeks and amounts they believe were misreported. They should be able to tell you exactly which weeks are in question and what the discrepancy is for each week. That way you can prepare your evidence specifically for those weeks.\n\nBe warned though - it's nearly impossible to get through to DEO on the phone these days. I spent 3 weeks trying before I discovered Claimyr. It connects you directly to a DEO agent and bypasses the usual wait time. Cost me less than going to one appeal hearing would have. Their site is claimyr.com and here's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/UzW_hbUy-ss?si=zORd51jeq1GX5Ldj. Got through in about 30 minutes when I had been trying for weeks on my own.

Thanks for the suggestion! I've been trying to call today and keep getting the \

dont stress to much abt this. i got a overpayment notice for $5200 last year and won my appeal. the key is having ANY kind of proof you reported correctly. the judge at my hearing was actually really fair and listened to my side. i think they know the system messes up alot lol

That's reassuring to hear! How long did your appeal process take from start to finish?