IRS TREAS 310 TAX REF deposit - got unexpected money from the IRS, what is this?

7 This "IRS TREAS 310 TAX REF" is just the standard code for a tax refund direct deposit from the Treasury. The "310" specifically indicates it's a refund from a filed tax return, not a stimulus payment or other special disbursement. The most likely explanations are: 1) You overpaid on your taxes and this is a regular refund you weren't expecting, 2) There was an adjustment made to your return after processing, or 3) You qualified for a tax credit you weren't aware of when filing. Since you're on an L1 visa, it's possible the IRS found you qualified for certain credits or deductions after reviewing your filing status or income. Sometimes tax software doesn't capture every possible credit for non-resident situations. Did you file yourself or use a tax professional?

9 After getting an unexpected $1,200 TREAS 310 deposit myself last year, I was just as confused as you are! I spent hours on Google and finally found this tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out what was going on with my refund. You just upload your tax documents and the AI explains everything in simple terms - it showed me that my refund was from an adjustment the IRS made to my foreign income exclusion. Since you mentioned you're on an L1 visa, they might have similar insights for your situation. The tool actually flagged exactly which form triggered my refund and why the adjustment happened. I was worried about being audited or having to pay it back, but the explanation made total sense and matched what I later confirmed with the IRS.

22 Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai - I decided to try it despite my initial skepticism. Uploaded my last tax return and the deposit info, and within minutes it identified that I got the refund because the IRS recalculated my tax treaty benefits (I'm from Canada). The explanation made perfect sense - there's a specific clause in the US-Canada tax treaty that applied to my situation that I completely missed when filing. The amount they explained matched exactly what I received, down to the penny. Saved me a lot of stress wondering if it was a mistake that would need to be paid back.

15 If you really need to understand where this money came from, good luck trying to reach the IRS directly! I spent WEEKS trying to get through their phone lines about a similar situation last year. After 15+ attempts and hours on hold, I found https://claimyr.com which honestly saved my sanity. They have this system where they wait on hold with the IRS for you, then call you when an actual human agent is on the line. I was super skeptical, but you can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Within 2 hours I was talking to a real IRS agent who explained exactly why I got an unexpected refund (they had recalculated my foreign tax credit). Much better than the generic explanations I found online that didn't apply to my specific situation.

4 I take back what I said about Claimyr being a scam. After that unexpected IRS deposit increased to over $2k, I got nervous and decided to try it. Their system actually worked - they called me back in about 90 minutes and connected me directly to an IRS agent. The agent explained that my refund was due to a correction they made on my foreign earned income exclusion form (2555) that I had filled out incorrectly. Turns out I was owed this money all along, and the IRS actually caught and fixed my mistake. The agent even noted it in my file so I won't have issues if I get audited. Would've never figured this out on my own, and definitely wouldn't have gotten through to the IRS without their service. Completely worth it for the peace of mind.

3 This happens every tax season! The TREAS 310 code just means it's a regular tax refund, not anything weird or suspicious. Sometimes the IRS catches errors in your filing and adjusts them, resulting in unexpected refunds. I got something similar last year because I didn't properly claim a tax treaty benefit on my H1B visa. The IRS systems are actually pretty good at detecting when you've overpaid, even if you didn't realize it yourself. If you want to know the exact reason, you can request a "tax account transcript" from the IRS website - it's free and will show any adjustments made to your return. Just go to irs.gov and look for the transcript request option.

10 Don't spend this money yet! I had the same thing happen and assumed it was a legit refund, then got a letter 3 months later saying it was sent in error and I had to pay it back WITH interest. Check your IRS online account and wait until you get an official explanation.

I can definitely relate to this confusion! As someone who's been through the L1 visa tax situation, unexpected IRS deposits can be really nerve-wracking when you're not familiar with the US system. The TREAS 310 TAX REF code is legitimate - it's the standard Treasury code for tax refunds. Since you're on an L1 visa, there are several specific scenarios that could have triggered this: 1. **Tax treaty benefits** - Depending on your home country, there might be tax treaty provisions you didn't claim that the IRS applied retroactively 2. **Foreign tax credit adjustments** - If you paid taxes in your home country, the IRS might have recalculated your foreign tax credit 3. **Withholding corrections** - Your employer's tax withholdings might have been higher than what you actually owed For L1 visa holders specifically, the IRS often catches missed deductions or credits related to international tax situations that standard tax software doesn't always identify correctly. My advice: Don't spend it immediately, but don't panic either. Log into your IRS online account and look for any notices or account transcripts that explain the adjustment. If you can't find clear information there, it's worth getting a definitive answer before you touch the money, just for peace of mind.