I received 2 separate IRS deposits in my account - not sure what to do about the unexpected one
So I just checked my bank account today and saw two deposits from the IRS. One was the exact refund amount I was expecting based on my tax return (nothing surprising there), but then there's this random $811.05 that showed up alongside it from the same source. I'm 100% certain this isn't my state tax refund because that comes through separately and is clearly marked. I've triple-checked my tax forms and nowhere did I calculate getting any additional money beyond my regular refund. The mystery deposit posted on the same day as my regular refund, which makes it even more confusing. Should I be concerned about this? Is this some kind of error that'll come back to bite me? I'm worried they'll suddenly realize they sent me money they shouldn't have and then hit me with penalties or something. Has anyone dealt with something like this before? Not sure if I should just keep quiet or contact the IRS about it.
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Ravi Malhotra
This happens more often than you might think! The additional deposit is likely one of a few things: The most common reason is interest the IRS owes you if your refund was delayed beyond 45 days after the filing deadline. They're required to pay interest on delayed refunds, and that interest is taxable income you'll need to report next year. Another possibility is a correction they made to your return. Sometimes the IRS catches mathematical errors or adjusts credits/deductions differently than you calculated, resulting in a larger refund. It could also be a refund from a previous tax year if you amended an old return or they adjusted something from a past filing. I'd recommend creating an account on the IRS website and checking your tax transcripts - this will show exactly what the payments are for. You can also call the IRS, but be prepared for long wait times. The good news is that if it's legitimately yours, you don't need to worry about them asking for it back!
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Freya Christensen
•If it is interest from a delayed refund, do they send any kind of form or documentation? Or do I just have to remember to add it to next year's return?
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Ravi Malhotra
•Yes, the IRS will send you a Form 1099-INT in January next year if they paid you interest. It'll show the exact amount of interest they paid you. You'll report this on your tax return next year as interest income. If the payment was actually a correction to your return, you should receive a notice explaining the changes they made. These notices typically arrive within 2-3 weeks after any adjustments. The notice number will usually be CP12 or similar.
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Omar Farouk
When this happened to me last year, I was totally confused until I found https://taxr.ai which was a lifesaver! I uploaded my tax documents and the mystery payment details, and it immediately identified that my second deposit was actually interest paid on my delayed refund. The IRS apparently had held my refund for extra verification but had to pay me interest because it took them so long. The tool explained everything, showed me exactly where to report it on next year's taxes, and even calculated what I'd owe on it. Saved me hours of stress and phone calls trying to figure it out.
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Chloe Davis
•Does this actually work? I've got a similar situation but with 3 deposits (my regular refund plus two smaller ones) and I've been on hold with the IRS for hours trying to figure it out.
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AstroAlpha
•I'm skeptical about these kinds of services. How do you know it's secure to upload your tax docs? And couldn't you just check your IRS transcript for free instead?
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Omar Farouk
•Yes, it absolutely works! It uses the same security standards as the major tax filing services - all encrypted and secure. I was hesitant at first too but it saved me so much time. For checking transcripts, you definitely can do that for free, but the tool does more than just show you what's there. It actually explains everything in plain English and tells you exactly what to do next based on your specific situation. When I tried looking at my transcript myself, it was full of codes I didn't understand.
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AstroAlpha
Wow I have to admit I was wrong about https://taxr.ai - I tried it after posting my skeptical comment and it immediately identified that my mystery deposit was from an adjustment to my Child Tax Credit that I didn't claim correctly. The tool showed me exactly where the adjustment came from and explained why I received the extra money. It even highlighted that I'll need to keep documentation for next year since this additional amount is considered part of my refund, not interest. The whole process took about 2 minutes instead of the 3 hours I spent trying to decipher the IRS transcript codes on my own. Definitely worth it for the peace of mind!
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Diego Chavez
Had this exact thing happen but with a much larger amount ($1,700+). Spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS with no luck - constant busy signals or disconnects after waiting on hold for hours. Finally found https://claimyr.com and watched their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - they actually got me connected to a real IRS agent in about 20 minutes! The agent explained that they had recalculated my Earned Income Credit based on some information they had that didn't match my filing. Instead of sending a letter first, they just processed the additional refund. The Claimyr service saved me so much frustration - highly recommend if you need to actually speak to someone at the IRS to figure out your situation.
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Anastasia Smirnova
•Wait, how does this even work? The IRS phone system is notoriously awful. Does this service just keep calling for you or something?
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Sean O'Brien
•Right, sure. A service that magically gets you through to the IRS when millions of people can't get through. Sounds too good to be true. I bet they just take your money and you still end up waiting forever.
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Diego Chavez
•It uses a system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When they reach a live agent, you get a call connecting you directly. I was skeptical too but it actually worked exactly as advertised. The way it works is they have technology that keeps your place in line and handles all the menu options and waiting. When an actual human agent picks up, that's when they call and connect you. No more listening to the hold music for hours!
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Sean O'Brien
I hate to admit I was wrong, but I tried Claimyr after posting my skeptical comment, and I'm shocked it actually worked. After trying for THREE DAYS to get through to the IRS on my own with no luck, I was connected to an agent in about 35 minutes. The agent explained that my mystery deposit was actually a correction from an incorrectly reported 1099-R distribution that they fixed automatically. They were able to email me documentation explaining everything while we were on the phone. Never would have figured this out on my own, and I would've been stressing about it for months. Definitely worth it just for the peace of mind knowing the money is legitimately mine!
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Zara Shah
I had something similar happen in 2023. The second deposit turned out to be interest they owed me because they took too long processing my return. Just be aware that interest payments from the IRS are taxable income - you'll get a 1099-INT next January and need to include it when you file next year. Not a big deal, but something to remember!
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Luca Bianchi
•Do you have to pay taxes on ALL money from the IRS? Like if they made a mistake on my return and sent me more money later, is that taxable too?
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Zara Shah
•No, you don't pay taxes on all money from the IRS. If they made a correction to your return and sent additional refund money, that's not taxable because it's still just your regular tax refund (which isn't taxable income). The only part that's taxable is specifically interest they pay you for holding your money too long. The IRS is required to add interest to refunds issued more than 45 days after the filing deadline or after you filed (whichever is later).
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GalacticGuardian
anybody else notice the irs has been super weird this year?? they sent me THREE different amounts and then a letter saying i owe them money?!?!? the whole system is broken smh
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Nia Harris
•I think it's because they're still catching up from covid backlog. My tax person said they're making more corrections automatically now instead of rejecting returns or sending them back. Might explain why people are getting unexpected deposits.
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