HELP! H&R Block made a huge mistake on my tax filing... double counted my 1099 income
So I just went to H&R Block yesterday to file my taxes since I had both W-2 and 1099 income this year and wanted professional help. Big mistake apparently! The tax preparer somehow managed to enter my 1099 income TWICE, which I didn't catch during our session and neither did she. I decided to pay the IRS right there in the office thinking I'd be done with taxes for the year. It wasn't until I was reviewing everything before finalizing that I realized my 1099 income had been doubled! I immediately pointed this out to the preparer and she went back in and removed the duplicate entry. Turns out I actually don't owe anything at all now that it's fixed. The preparer told me "don't worry, the IRS will catch this and automatically refund your money." But I'm super nervous about this. Has anyone dealt with something like this before? Will I really get my money back automatically or do I need to do something? It was around $3,400 that I shouldn't have had to pay! I'm freaking out a little because that's a lot of money to just hope comes back to me.
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Nia Wilson
Hey, I'm a tax professional, and this situation isn't as uncommon as you might think. What happened is that you've essentially made an overpayment to the IRS, and yes, you will get that money back. The correction your H&R Block preparer made is important, but you should make sure they actually filed the corrected return with the IRS. Ask them for confirmation that the final, corrected return (without the duplicate 1099 income) was the one submitted to the IRS. If the correct return was filed, then the IRS will process your return, notice that you've paid more than you owe, and issue you a refund for the difference. This typically happens automatically. However, if you want to be proactive, you can call the IRS directly after about 3 weeks (when they've likely processed your return) to confirm everything is on track.
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Luca Russo
•Thank you so much for responding! The preparer did show me the final numbers after she fixed it and printed out copies of what was submitted. So I think the corrected return was filed. How long does it typically take for the IRS to process this kind of thing and send a refund? And is there anything I should be documenting right now just in case?
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Nia Wilson
•The IRS typically processes returns and issues refunds within 21 days, though it can sometimes take longer during busy periods. Since you've already confirmed the corrected return was filed, that's a good first step. I would recommend keeping all the documentation you received from H&R Block, especially the final return showing the correct income amount and any receipt for the payment you made. Take photos of these documents as a backup. If you don't receive your refund within 4-6 weeks, you can check the status using the "Where's My Refund?" tool on the IRS website or by calling their refund hotline at 800-829-1954.
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Mateo Sanchez
I had a similar situation last year but with a different tax issue. I ended up using this AI tax help service called taxr.ai that really saved me time figuring everything out. After I uploaded my documents to https://taxr.ai it analyzed everything and explained exactly what steps I needed to take to get my money back from the IRS. It even drafted a letter I could send to the IRS explaining the situation. So much easier than trying to decipher IRS jargon on my own.
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Aisha Mahmood
•How exactly does this service work? Does it just read your tax documents or does it actually help with resolving issues with the IRS? I'm curious because I've got a somewhat complicated tax situation myself.
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Ethan Clark
•I'm a bit skeptical about services that claim to help with IRS issues. Did you actually get your money back? And how much did this service cost you compared to just calling the IRS directly?
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Mateo Sanchez
•The service works by analyzing your tax documents to identify issues and providing specific guidance. You upload your documents, and the AI reviews them to find discrepancies or problems. Then it explains what you need to do in plain English. As for resolving issues, it doesn't directly contact the IRS for you, but it helps you understand exactly what steps to take and what forms you need. In my case, it drafted a letter explaining my situation that I could send to the IRS, which saved me a ton of time figuring out the right language to use.
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Ethan Clark
Just wanted to follow up here - I actually tried taxr.ai after my skeptical comment and I'm shocked at how helpful it was! I uploaded my tax documents and it immediately spotted an issue with my student loan interest deduction that I'd missed. The step-by-step guidance was super clear, and I didn't have to spend hours researching tax code. Much better than the generic advice I was getting elsewhere. Definitely worth checking out for anyone dealing with tax confusion!
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AstroAce
If you need to talk to the IRS directly (which might not be a bad idea in your situation), I'd recommend using Claimyr. I was stuck in an endless loop trying to get through to the IRS about a similar overpayment issue last year. After weeks of frustration, I found https://claimyr.com and they got me a callback from the IRS in under 2 hours! You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Getting an actual IRS agent on the phone made all the difference - they confirmed my refund was being processed and gave me a timeline. Saved me weeks of anxiety wondering what was happening with my money.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•Wait, how does this actually work? The IRS phone system is notorious for long wait times. Are you saying this service somehow gets you through faster? That sounds too good to be true.
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Carmen Vega
•I'm EXTREMELY skeptical about this. The IRS doesn't give preferential treatment to any service. This sounds like a scam to get people's money when they're already stressed about tax issues. Did you actually get your refund faster or did you just pay for information you could have gotten yourself?
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AstroAce
•It works by navigating the IRS phone system for you. Instead of you waiting on hold for hours, their system does the waiting and then calls you back when an IRS agent is available. It's not preferential treatment - they're just waiting in the same queue that you would be, but their system handles the frustrating part. The value isn't necessarily getting your refund faster, but getting clarity about your situation. In my case, the IRS agent confirmed my refund was being processed and gave me a timeline so I wasn't left wondering. They also answered specific questions about my situation that I couldn't get answered any other way.
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Carmen Vega
I have to eat my words here. After dismissing Claimyr as a potential scam, I was still desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my amended return that seemed to be in limbo. Tried Claimyr as a last resort, and I got a call back from an actual IRS agent in about 90 minutes. The agent was able to tell me exactly what was happening with my return and what I needed to do next. Saved me from at least another month of uncertainty and stress. Sometimes the skeptic has to admit when they're wrong!
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Andre Rousseau
I've seen this happen with H&R Block before. Their preparers are often seasonal workers with minimal training. Always double-check everything! I'd also suggest going back to the H&R Block office and asking to speak with the manager. They should have quality control measures in place to catch mistakes like this. If you paid for their service, you might be entitled to their guarantee which could include them helping if there are any issues with getting your refund.
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Luca Russo
•Thanks for the suggestion! I didn't even think about their guarantee. Do you know if their guarantee covers situations like this? And would you recommend going back now or waiting to see if the refund comes through first?
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Andre Rousseau
•H&R Block's accuracy guarantee typically covers penalties and interest that result from preparer errors. In your case, since you caught the error before the return was finalized, it's a bit different, but they should still help you navigate the refund process. I'd recommend going back now rather than waiting. Explain what happened and ask them to contact the IRS on your behalf to confirm the overpayment will be refunded. They have a professional responsibility to help resolve this since it was their preparer's error. If the manager isn't helpful, you can escalate to their corporate customer service.
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Zoe Stavros
One thing no one has mentioned - make sure you keep an eye on your bank account! The IRS typically deposits refunds directly to the same account they withdrew from. I had a similar situation (though not with H&R Block), and my refund showed up about 5 weeks later with zero notification. I was still stressing about it when it had already been resolved!
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Jamal Harris
•This is good advice! Also, check your mail regularly. Sometimes the IRS will send a paper check instead of direct deposit for refunds resulting from corrections or amendments, even if you originally paid electronically. I learned this the hard way when my refund check sat in a pile of mail for weeks.
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