Got a Notice 54 tax refund check 54 weeks ago, still no explanation from IRS

This happens more often than you might think. The IRS likely made an adjustment to your return and sent you the refund based on their calculations, but failed to send the explanation letter (CP12 notice) that should have accompanied it or followed shortly after. You're right to be cautious. The best approach would be to compare the refund amount with what you expected from your original tax return. If there's a significant discrepancy, the IRS may have made an error. Even though it's been over a year, I would recommend trying to determine why this happened. While you technically aren't required to return money that the IRS erroneously refunds to you (unless it was clearly an error like a duplicate refund), you could still be subject to an audit within the statute of limitations period, which is generally 3 years from the filing date.

I went through something similar last year and was pulling my hair out trying to figure out what happened. I finally used taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and uploaded my notice and tax returns. Their AI analyzed everything and explained exactly what adjustment the IRS had made and why! Turns out I had missed a credit I was eligible for, and the IRS actually corrected it in my favor. The tool breaks down all the calculations and explains where discrepancies came from. Super helpful when you can't get through to the IRS. It saved me hours of stress and confusion, and I could see exactly which line items had been adjusted without having to decipher IRS code.

Just wanted to follow up - I took a chance and tried taxr.ai after posting my skeptical comment. I'm actually impressed! Uploaded my tax return and the Notice 54, and it immediately showed me that the IRS had adjusted my Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Credit amounts. Turns out I calculated them incorrectly and the IRS fixed it in my favor (who knew that could happen?). The breakdown was super clear - showed exactly which lines were changed and by how much. The explanation was in plain English too, not the cryptic IRS language. I can finally stop worrying about this random money that showed up in my account. Worth checking out if you're in a similar situation!

If you're still trying to contact the IRS about this, stop wasting time on hold. I discovered Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) after spending literally DAYS trying to get through to someone at the IRS about a similar issue. Their service gets you past the IRS phone tree and holds your place in line so you actually get a callback from an agent. I was super skeptical but you can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically saves you from the endless hold times. I finally got to speak with someone who explained my adjustment after months of getting nowhere. They don't have access to your tax info, they just help you get through to an actual human at the IRS.

I need to eat my words from my skeptical comment! After weeks of failing to get through to the IRS, I broke down and tried Claimyr yesterday. Within 90 minutes, I got a call back from an actual IRS agent! I was shocked it actually worked. The agent was able to look up my account and confirm they had adjusted my return due to a calculation error with some investment income I reported. They're sending me a detailed explanation letter, but at least now I know what happened. Honestly, this saved me so much frustration. I've been trying to reach them for MONTHS with no success. For anyone still wondering about their mysterious refund, this is definitely worth trying.

Just wanted to share my experience - I got a similar notice about a year ago and just ignored it because I figured if the IRS was giving me money, why question it? Big mistake. They eventually sent me a bill for the full amount plus interest because it was an error. Definitely try to resolve this sooner rather than later!

Has anyone tried just depositing the check but keeping that exact amount in a separate savings account untouched until the IRS sorts it out? I've heard that's the safest approach but wonder if it actually works?

I'm dealing with a very similar situation right now! Got a Notice 54 about 8 months ago with an unexpected refund of $1,800, and like you, I never received the follow-up explanation letter they promised. What I ended up doing was creating a dedicated savings account just for this money and haven't touched a penny of it. I figure if it was legitimate, great - if not, at least I have it ready to return when they figure out their mistake. The peace of mind is worth it. One thing that helped me was pulling my original tax return and trying to reverse-engineer where the extra money might have come from. In my case, I think they may have adjusted my education credits, but I'm still not 100% sure. Have you tried going line by line through your return to see what might have been recalculated? The IRS phone situation is absolutely maddening - I've probably spent 20+ hours on hold over the past few months with nothing to show for it. Really considering some of these third-party services people are mentioning just to get some answers!

I'm in almost the exact same boat! Got a Notice 54 refund about 10 months ago for $2,400 that I definitely wasn't expecting, and still no explanation letter despite their promise that one was coming "in a few days." Like others have suggested, I immediately moved the money into a separate high-yield savings account and haven't touched it. At least if they want it back, I'll have it ready plus whatever interest I've earned in the meantime. What's been driving me crazy is not knowing WHY they sent it. I've gone through my return multiple times trying to figure out what they might have adjusted, but I can't pinpoint it. Could be anything from a credit I missed to them correcting some calculation error I made. The phone situation is absolutely hopeless - I've easily spent 30+ hours on hold over the past year with zero success. Based on what people are saying here about those third-party services, I'm seriously considering trying one of them. At this point I just want to know if this money is legitimately mine or if I'm sitting on a ticking time bomb! Has anyone here actually had the IRS come back and demand money from a Notice 54 situation, or do they usually just let it slide if it was their adjustment error?