Accidentally Filed Taxes Twice Using Different Tax Software - What Happens Now?
So I really messed up this tax season. I was comparing Credit Karma and TurboTax to see which would give me the better refund, and somehow I ended up submitting BOTH returns! I submitted through Credit Karma first and they already accepted my application. The problem is both sites are giving me different refund amounts, with TurboTax showing a bigger refund. The TurboTax submission is actually more accurate because I was able to enter my Medicaid waiver payment correctly, which I couldn't figure out how to do in Credit Karma. Now I'm freaking out about what happens when the IRS gets two different tax returns from me. Will I get in trouble? Can I still fix this? And what about the income difference? Since Credit Karma didn't let me properly account for the Medicaid waiver portion of my income, that return isn't even correct. What's going to happen when the IRS processes both returns? Will I need to file an amended return or something? I'm so stressed about this!
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GalacticGladiator
Don't panic! This happens more often than you think. The IRS will identify that you've filed twice and will generally process the first return they receive (likely your Credit Karma one since you mentioned it was already accepted). What you need to do now is file an amended return (Form 1040-X) to correct the information from your first filing. Since your TurboTax return more accurately reflects your situation with the Medicaid waiver payment, you'll want to amend your Credit Karma return to match this information. You can actually use TurboTax to prepare the amended return if you want. It's important to file the amendment rather than just hoping the IRS sorts it out. Be sure to explain in the amendment that you accidentally filed twice and are correcting the first return to properly account for the Medicaid waiver payment.
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Omar Zaki
•If the IRS already accepted the Credit Karma return, wouldn't they reject the TurboTax one automatically? Also, how long do amended returns typically take to process? I've heard they can take forever.
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GalacticGladiator
•Yes, the IRS will likely reject the second return automatically when they detect a duplicate filing. However, that doesn't solve the problem of your first return being incorrect with regards to the Medicaid waiver payment. Amended returns unfortunately do take quite a while to process - currently the IRS says to expect 16 weeks or more for processing, though it can sometimes be faster. The important thing is to get the amendment filed as soon as possible, especially if you're owed additional refund money based on the correct information.
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Chloe Taylor
I ran into a similar situation last year and used taxr.ai to help figure it out. After submitting my returns twice by accident, I was freaking out about potential penalties. I uploaded both my returns to https://taxr.ai and their system analyzed the differences and guided me through exactly what I needed to do to fix it. They even explained exactly how to handle the amended return process for my specific situation.
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Diego Flores
•How does taxr.ai actually work? Do they just compare the documents or do they also help with filing the amended return? I'm in a similar situation but with H&R Block and TaxAct.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•Sounds interesting but I'm skeptical. Couldn't you just compare the two returns yourself and see the differences? Why pay for a service to do that?
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Chloe Taylor
•They analyze both returns and highlight exactly where the differences are, which was super helpful in my case because I had multiple W-2s and some investment income that made it hard to spot the discrepancies myself. The system identifies which specific lines have differences and explains the tax implications. For the amended return, they don't file it for you, but they provide step-by-step instructions customized to your situation. They explained exactly which forms I needed and what numbers to put where, which made the process way less intimidating.
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Anastasia Ivanova
I just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai since I was skeptical in my earlier comment. I decided to try it since I was getting nowhere comparing my returns manually. Honestly, it saved me hours of frustration. The system immediately flagged that I had incorrectly reported my self-employment income on one return and missed a deduction on the other. The breakdown was super clear and they provided specific instructions for my amendment that made it easy to follow. Definitely worth it for anyone dealing with tax filing mistakes or comparing different tax situations.
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Sean Murphy
If you're having trouble getting answers from the IRS about your double filing situation, try Claimyr. I had a similar issue last year and spent DAYS trying to get through to the IRS on my own. After giving up, I found https://claimyr.com and used their service to get through to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can check out how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. It was amazing to actually talk to someone who could see both my returns in their system and tell me exactly what to do next.
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StarStrider
•Wait, how does this actually work? Do they have some special line to the IRS or something? The IRS hold times have been insane whenever I've tried calling.
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Zara Malik
•This sounds like a scam. There's no way to "skip the line" with the IRS. They're notoriously understaffed and overwhelmed. I doubt this service actually works.
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Sean Murphy
•They use a system that continuously redials and navigates the IRS phone tree until it gets through to an agent. Once there's an agent available, you get a call connecting you directly to that person. It's not a special line or anything sketchy - just technology that handles the frustrating part of waiting on hold. The service basically does what you would do if you had infinite patience and time to keep calling back. I was skeptical too until I tried it, but it literally saved me hours of frustration and I got my issue resolved in one call.
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Zara Malik
I need to apologize for my skepticism about Claimyr. After posting my doubtful comment, I was still desperate to talk to the IRS about my amended return status, so I reluctantly tried the service. I'm shocked to admit it actually worked exactly as advertised. I got a call back in about 35 minutes connecting me to an IRS representative who addressed my questions about my duplicate filings. What would have been days of frustration turned into one productive conversation. If you're dealing with this duplicate filing situation and need specific guidance from the IRS, this is legitimately worth considering.
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Luca Marino
This happened to my brother last year. The IRS will automatically reject the second return if the first one was already accepted. But definitely file an amended return ASAP! One thing to watch out for - if your TurboTax return shows a bigger refund, don't spend that money until your amendment is processed and you actually receive it. My brother made that mistake and it caused him some financial stress.
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Freya Larsen
•Thanks for the advice! Do you know if the IRS will notify me when they reject the second return? And did your brother have any issues with penalties or anything when he filed the amendment?
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Luca Marino
•Yes, they'll send a rejection notice for the second return, usually through the tax software you used. My brother got an email from TurboTax about a week after filing letting him know the return was rejected due to a duplicate filing. He didn't face any penalties because he filed the amendment promptly and clearly explained the situation. Just make sure you're honest about what happened and file the amendment as soon as possible. The IRS is generally understanding about honest mistakes as long as you take action to correct them.
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Nia Davis
Don't fret too much about this. The real question is whether you're entitled to the larger refund that TurboTax calculated. If yes, then definitely file an amended return to get that money. If the difference is small (like under $100), honestly it might not be worth the hassle of amending.
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Mateo Perez
•This is terrible advice. You should always file correct tax information regardless of the refund amount. The IRS can come after you years later if they discover discrepancies, especially with something like Medicaid payments which are government benefits.
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