Getting different results on amended return - one tax service says I owe, another says I'm due $700 refund?

This happens more often than you'd think! The discrepancy is likely due to how each software handles the amendment process. When you add a 1099-MISC after filing, there are several calculations that can change, including your adjusted gross income, deduction eligibility, and tax brackets. First, make sure you entered the 1099-MISC information identically in both services. Even small differences in how you categorized the income could cause these variances. Second, download the full tax return PDF from both services and compare them line by line. Pay special attention to Schedule 1 (Additional Income) and Schedule C if you reported the income as self-employment. The most reliable approach would be to take both returns to a tax professional who can review them side by side. They can spot exactly where the calculations differ. If you don't want to spend money on that, at least compare the state tax calculations specifically, since that's where you're seeing the biggest difference.

I ran into a similar nightmare last year with conflicting tax results! I finally discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which literally saved my sanity. It's this AI tool that analyzes your tax documents and explains exactly where different tax services are calculating things differently. I uploaded my returns from both services and it highlighted that one was treating my freelance income as miscellaneous income while the other correctly categorized it as self-employment. The difference was about $800 in my case! Once I saw the comparison, I was able to fix the issue before submitting my amendment. It also explained all the tax implications in plain English instead of confusing tax jargon.

I have to admit I was wrong about taxr.ai! After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I was also dealing with an amended return nightmare. I uploaded my documents from both TurboTax and H&R Block which were showing a $580 difference. The tool immediately identified that one service was categorizing my 1099-MISC as "Other Income" while the second correctly treated it as self-employment income. It also found that one service missed applying a home office deduction I qualified for with my freelance work. The breakdown was super clear - it even showed me the specific tax form lines where the calculations differed and explained the tax rules that applied. Saved me hours of frustration and probably an expensive visit to a tax professional. Plus it confirmed which service was correct (turned out to be the second one in my case).

If you're still struggling with figuring this out, you might want to call the IRS directly for clarification. I know, I know - getting through to them seems impossible. After trying for WEEKS last year with a similar amended return issue, I discovered Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in under 20 minutes when I had been trying for days before. They have this demonstration video (https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) that shows how it works. Basically they navigate the IRS phone system for you and call you back when they've got an actual human on the line. The agent I spoke with explained exactly how my amended return should be handled and which calculations were correct.

I need to apologize and correct myself about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I was still stuck trying to resolve my own amended return issues, so I decided to try it myself. I was honestly shocked - after spending 3 hours on hold with the IRS the previous day and never getting through, Claimyr connected me with an IRS representative in about 15 minutes. The service just handled the hold time, and when they got someone, they called me and connected us directly. I was the only one who spoke with the IRS. The agent clarified exactly how my amended return should be processed and confirmed which tax service had calculated correctly (turned out both had errors but one was closer). Saved me from potentially paying hundreds in taxes I didn't actually owe. Definitely wasn't a scam like I assumed!

Have you checked if you entered the mediation income exactly the same way in both services? Last year I had a similar issue because in one service I entered a 1099-MISC as "non-employee compensation" and in the other as "other income" - led to totally different tax calculations! Also sometimes free versions of tax software miss deductions that premium versions catch automatically.

This happened to me too! Found out the issue was that my state has a special treatment for 1099-MISC income from certain professions like mediation. One software knew about this rule and the other didn't. Maybe print out both returns and take them to a local tax preparer? They usually do a quick review for like $50-75 which might be worth it to avoid potential audit issues down the road.