Help! I accidentally paid my federal taxes twice - how do I get my money back?

The good news is that the IRS will recognize this as an overpayment. When you make excess payments on your taxes, the IRS gives you options for what to do with that money. You have three main choices: You can request a refund of the overpaid amount by filing Form 8849 (Claim for Refund of Excise Taxes). Just be clear that this was an accidental duplicate payment. Alternatively, you can apply the overpayment to next year's estimated taxes, which some people prefer if they're going to owe again anyway. You can also call the IRS directly at their main taxpayer assistance line to explain the situation and request guidance on the fastest way to get your refund processed. Since this was a substantial amount of money, I'd recommend calling them first, then following up with the proper form based on their guidance. The IRS is actually pretty good about handling obvious overpayments like duplicate payments.

I went through something similar last year. I was stressing about my taxes and ended up making duplicate payments. I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out how to get my money back quickly. After a few frustrating attempts calling the IRS with super long wait times, I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was actually really helpful for my situation. They have this cool feature where they can analyze all your payment records and tax transcripts to identify exactly what happened and the best way to resolve duplicate payments. Their system spotted both my payments right away and gave me step-by-step instructions on exactly what to do. Saved me hours of stress and research.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai for my double payment issue! It worked really well for me. After uploading my tax documents, I got a complete breakdown showing both payments and confirmation that I was entitled to a refund. They gave me exact instructions for filing Form 8849 and even provided a template letter explaining the situation to include with my submission. Just got notification that my refund is being processed and should be here in about 3 weeks. Wish I'd known about this service sooner!

If you're having trouble getting through to the IRS (which you probably will), I'd recommend trying Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in the same boat with a double payment last year, and I spent DAYS trying to get through to an actual human at the IRS. Their phone system is absolutely maddening. Claimyr basically waits on hold with the IRS for you and calls you back when they have an agent on the line. You can see a demo of how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Saved me hours of listening to that awful hold music. When I finally got connected to an IRS agent, they were able to confirm my overpayment and start the refund process right away.

I take back what I said about Claimyr being a scam. After multiple failed attempts calling the IRS myself (got disconnected twice after waiting over an hour), I decided to try it. Honestly, it worked exactly as advertised. I put in my number and issue, went about my day, and got a call back about 90 minutes later with an actual IRS agent on the line. The agent confirmed my overpayment, verified both transactions, and started processing my refund right away. They said I should see the money back in 3-4 weeks. Definitely saved me a ton of frustration!

When this happened to me a couple years ago, the IRS actually just automatically refunded the second payment after about 3 weeks. I didn't have to do anything. Might be worth just checking your account for a week or two before going through the hassle of forms or calling them.

Check your tax software settings too. Sometimes if you set up automatic payments AND manually made a payment, that could cause a duplicate. I've seen this happen with TurboTax specifically. You might need to go into your account and cancel any pending payments if that's the case.

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - made duplicate payments through different software and totally panicking about getting my money back! Reading through everyone's experiences here is really helpful. It sounds like there are a few different approaches: waiting to see if the IRS automatically processes the refund (like Nia experienced), filing Form 8849 yourself, or using services to help navigate the IRS phone system. @Omar - have you tried checking your IRS online account to see if there's any indication of how they're processing the duplicate payments? Sometimes they'll show pending refunds or adjustments there before you get official notification. Also, for what it's worth, I've heard that if you can document exactly when and how each payment was made (like screenshots from both tax software accounts), that can help speed up the resolution process when you do contact the IRS. Hope you get this sorted out quickly! That's a stressful amount of money to have tied up.

This is actually more common than you might think, especially during tax season when people are stressed and using multiple software platforms. The IRS has procedures in place specifically for handling duplicate payments. First, don't panic - you will get your money back. The IRS is required to refund overpayments, and accidental duplicate payments are pretty straightforward for them to process. Here's what I'd recommend based on similar situations I've seen: 1. Keep monitoring your IRS online account - if it already shows "overpayment identified" like some others mentioned, that's a good sign they're aware of the issue. 2. Give it 2-3 weeks to see if they process an automatic refund. Many duplicate payments get resolved this way without any action needed on your part. 3. If nothing happens automatically, you have a few options: file Form 8849 for the refund claim, or call the IRS directly (though be prepared for long wait times). 4. Definitely keep those screenshots and documentation from both TurboTax and H&R Block - having clear records of both payments with timestamps will make the process much smoother if you need to contact them. The key thing is that this is a legitimate overpayment situation, not a complex tax issue, so once you get through to the right person at the IRS, they should be able to resolve it fairly quickly. Most people see their refunds within 4-6 weeks once the process starts.

I've been through this exact situation! Made duplicate payments last tax season and was absolutely panicking about the money being tied up. Here's what I learned from the experience: The IRS actually handles duplicate payments pretty routinely - you're definitely not the first person to do this, especially when using multiple tax software platforms. In my case, I used TurboTax and then also made a manual payment because I wasn't sure the first one went through properly. What happened for me was similar to what @Nia described - the IRS automatically processed a refund after about 4 weeks without me having to do anything. I got the money back via direct deposit to the same account I had made the payments from, and then received a letter explaining the refund about a week later. However, I'd still recommend keeping close tabs on your IRS online account and having all your documentation ready (those screenshots from both platforms are gold). If you don't see movement after 3-4 weeks, then definitely consider the more proactive approaches others have mentioned here. The most important thing is not to stress too much - this is a solvable problem and you will get your money back. The IRS may be slow, but they're actually pretty good at handling straightforward overpayment situations like this.

I went through this exact same nightmare last year! Made duplicate payments of about $4,800 total when I only owed around $2,400. I was using TurboTax and also made a manual payment through the IRS website because I got paranoid the first one didn't go through properly. Here's what actually happened in my case: I waited about 2 weeks checking my IRS account obsessively, then decided to call them directly. After being on hold for literally 3 hours (no joke), I finally got through to an agent who was actually really helpful. She confirmed both payments immediately, explained that this happens more often than you'd think, and initiated the refund process right on the spot. The refund took about 5 weeks total to hit my bank account, but the peace of mind from talking to someone directly was worth it. She also gave me a reference number to track the refund status. My advice: give it another week or two to see if they handle it automatically, but don't hesitate to call if you need that money back sooner. The wait times are brutal, but once you get through, they can usually resolve duplicate payments pretty quickly since it's such a straightforward issue. Keep all your payment confirmations handy - they'll want the exact dates and amounts. You'll definitely get your money back, just try not to stress too much about it!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm dealing with the exact same issue right now - accidentally made duplicate payments totaling about $5,800 when I only owed $2,900. Used both TurboTax and TaxAct because I wanted to compare refund amounts and somehow ended up submitting payments through both platforms. Reading through everyone's experiences here is incredibly reassuring. It sounds like this is way more common than I thought, especially during tax season when we're all stressed and rushing to meet deadlines. Based on what I'm seeing from everyone's advice, I'm going to: 1. Check my IRS online account daily to see if that "overpayment identified" notation appears 2. Give it 2-3 weeks to see if they process an automatic refund like @Nia and @Anastasia experienced 3. Keep all my payment confirmations and screenshots organized in case I need them 4. If nothing happens automatically, I'll probably try that Claimyr service that several people mentioned rather than sitting on hold for hours It's such a relief to know that this is a solvable problem and that the IRS actually handles these situations routinely. I was honestly panicking thinking I might never see that money again or that it would take months to resolve. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community support means the world when you're dealing with something this stressful!

I'm reading through all these experiences and feeling so much better about my own situation! I accidentally made duplicate payments last week - $2,800 through TurboTax and then another $2,650 through the IRS Direct Pay system because I panicked thinking the first one didn't go through properly. What's really helpful from everyone's stories is seeing the different approaches and timelines. It sounds like the 2-3 week automatic processing route that @Nia and @Anastasia experienced might be the least stressful option to try first. I just checked my IRS account and both payments are showing, so I'm going to monitor that closely for any "overpayment identified" notation. @Cole - your experience with the 3-hour hold time is exactly what I was afraid of! That's why those services like Claimyr that @Zara mentioned sound so appealing. If I don't see automatic movement in a few weeks, I think I'll definitely try that route rather than camping out on hold for hours. For anyone else dealing with this - I called my bank this morning (great suggestion @Anastasia) and they confirmed both payments have fully processed, so there's nothing pending that can be stopped. But at least now I have exact timestamps and confirmation numbers for everything. It's amazing how much stress this community has helped relieve. Yesterday I was convinced I'd never see that money again, and now I feel confident it's just a matter of time and choosing the right approach. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!

I'm going through this exact same situation right now and honestly, this thread has been a lifesaver! I made duplicate payments totaling about $4,200 when I only owed around $2,100 - used both FreeTaxUSA and then made a manual payment through the IRS website because I got paranoid the first payment didn't process correctly. Reading everyone's experiences here has been incredibly reassuring. It's clear this happens to way more people than any of us realized, especially during the stressful rush to meet tax deadlines. Based on all the great advice shared here, I'm planning to: 1. Monitor my IRS online account for the next 2-3 weeks to see if they automatically process the refund like @Nia and @Anastasia experienced 2. Keep all my payment confirmations and screenshots organized (have them from both platforms with timestamps) 3. If nothing happens automatically, I'll likely try the Claimyr service that @Zara and others mentioned rather than sitting on hold for hours with the IRS directly What's really giving me peace of mind is that literally everyone who has shared their story here eventually got their money back - it seems like the IRS has clear procedures for handling duplicate payments once they identify them. The timelines vary, but knowing there are multiple proven approaches makes this feel so much more manageable. Thank you all for taking the time to share your experiences and advice. Yesterday I was having a complete panic attack about this, and now I feel like I have a solid plan and realistic expectations. This community support has been amazing!