I received less than the calculated amount on my tax refund - missing $270

What you're experiencing is fairly common. When there's a discrepancy between your expected refund and what the IRS actually sends, it's usually because of an offset or adjustment they've made. The most common reasons include: 1. Outstanding federal debts (student loans, past tax debts) 2. State income tax debt 3. Child support payments 4. Certain federal non-tax debts (like some federal agency fees) Check your mail in the next couple weeks - the IRS typically sends a notice explaining why they reduced your refund. The notice is usually sent separately from the refund itself. If you need answers sooner, you can try calling the IRS directly, but be prepared for potentially long wait times. Another option is to check your tax transcript again and look for any "offset" codes or adjustment notes that might explain the difference.

I had almost the exact same issue last year! After hours of frustration trying to reach the IRS, I finally found this service called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out what happened to my missing refund money. You upload your tax documents and transcripts, and their AI analyzes everything to explain what's happening in plain English. In my case, it turned out there was a math error adjustment that I hadn't noticed, plus they had taken some money for a state tax debt I didn't even know about. The service showed me exactly which codes on my transcript explained the discrepancy and helped me understand what to do next. Saved me so much headache!

Following up about taxr.ai - I decided to try it with my situation (missing $680 from my refund). Got my analysis back in about 15 minutes and it was eye-opening! Turns out I had an adjustment for a missing 1099-K form from some side gig work I did but forgot about. The service pointed out exactly which codes on my transcript showed this adjustment. What I really appreciated was that they explained my options - I could file an amended return, request an abatement, or accept the adjustment. Ended up saving me from making a mistake that could have triggered an audit. Definitely worth checking out if you're confused about refund discrepancies!

After going through refund issues for the past two filing seasons, I found that actually talking to someone at the IRS resolves things fastest. But we all know how impossible it is to get through to them... I wasted HOURS on hold before finding Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They have this system that navigates the IRS phone tree for you and calls you back once an actual human agent is on the line. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c When I finally got to talk to an IRS rep, they explained that my missing refund portion had been taken for a state tax debt from 3 years ago I completely forgot about. The whole process took 20 minutes instead of spending all day on hold.

Ok I take back what I said. Tried Claimyr out of desperation yesterday and I'm honestly shocked that it worked. After weeks of trying to reach the IRS myself and getting nowhere, I had a 20-minute conversation with an actual IRS agent this morning. Found out my refund was reduced because of an old unpaid parking ticket that somehow made its way to the Treasury Offset Program. The agent gave me the contact info for the specific agency that requested the offset and told me exactly what to do next. Would have taken me forever to figure this out on my own. Still can't believe I didn't have to sit through the hold music for hours!

Don't forget to check if you have any outstanding debt with your state's department of revenue. My federal refund was reduced last year because of a state income tax bill from two years prior that I thought I had paid. The weird thing was that I never received any notice from the state about the outstanding balance until AFTER they took it from my federal refund.

Might be worth checking if you got a CP14 notice in the mail. My refund was short by $412 and I found out it was because I had a small unpaid balance from 2023 that accumulated interest and penalties. The annoying part was that the IRS sent the adjustment notice about a week AFTER they deposited the reduced refund.

Check your IRS transcript for transaction codes that might explain the difference. Look specifically for codes like 766 (credit to your account), 767 (applied credit), or 898 (refund offset). The transcript will show the chronological order of adjustments made to your return. You can also call the Taxpayer Advocate Service at 1-877-777-4778 if you can't reach the regular IRS line. They're specifically designed to help with situations like this where there's confusion about refund amounts. They often have shorter wait times than the main IRS customer service line. In the meantime, gather all your tax documents and keep records of your calculations. If it turns out to be an IRS error (which does happen), having everything organized will make the correction process much smoother. The $378 difference is significant enough that it's definitely worth pursuing.