IRS took partial refund for payment plan despite arrangement - when will I get remaining balance?

If your transcript shows an offset to pay for your past taxes, it's already happened. When you owe back taxes, the IRS has the right to take your refund to pay those taxes even if you're on a payment plan. The payment plan just keeps you from getting levies and other collection activities - it doesn't prevent them from taking your refund. Check for code 826 on your transcript which indicates a refund offset. If you see code 846 after that, that's your remaining refund amount. If you don't have an 846 yet, you'll need to wait for processing to complete. Based on your dates, I'd expect it within the next 7-10 days assuming there are no other issues with your return. Also, you should receive a notice (CP49) explaining the offset that was applied to your account.

I was in the same boat last month. Super confused about my transcript and what was happening with my refund. I started using taxr.ai and it completely changed everything for me. It actually reads your transcript and explains exactly what's happening in plain english. Told me precisely when my refund was being offset and when I'd get the remainder. No more guessing games! The transcript analysis tells you exactly what codes mean and gives you a timeline. Honestly, it's way better than posting here and hoping someone knows the answer. https://taxr.ai

After dealing with the same issue, I was going crazy trying to get someone at the IRS on the phone. Used this calling service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) and they got me connected with an actual IRS agent within 30 minutes. The agent confirmed my refund was partially applied to my old tax debt but said the rest is being processed and should be direct deposited soon. Saved me hours of hold music! I honestly would have paid double what they charged just to avoid the headache of trying to get through to someone.

Had this happen to me last year. The payment plan doesn't protect your refund at all. You'll get a notice in the mail about 2-3 weeks after the offset date showing how much they took. If you check your transcript and there's a 846 code after the offset code, that's the remaining amount you'll get. If no 846 yet, it means they're still processing.

Legit had the samE EXACT issue lol. They hit me with the "surprise we took your refund even tho ur on a payment plan" BS. Called them and they were like "yeah read the fine print bro" 🤦‍♂️ Such a waste of time being on a payment plan if they take your refund anyway! My refund took about 2 weeks after the offset to hit my account.

The IRS will absolutely take your refund to pay past due taxes even if you're on a payment plan. That's why I always adjust my withholding so I owe a small amount each year instead of getting a refund. If you're on a payment plan, getting a refund is just giving the IRS an interest-free loan that they'll keep.

Hey all I work at h&r block and see this ALL THE TIME. Payment plans don't protect your refund from offset. Only way to avoid this is to adjust your withholding so you don't get a refund in the first place - aim to owe a small amount instead. For your current situation, you should get the remaining balance within 2-3 weeks of the offset date.

Check for topic 203 on the Where's My Refund tool. That confirms they offset some of your refund. They'll mail you a letter explaining how much they took and how much you're still getting back. In my experience it takes about 2 weeks after the offset for the remaining refund to be issued. It sucks but at least your debt is reduced now!

been there, done that. the irs is like that ex who keeps taking your stuff even after you made an agreement 🤣 they'll take your refund regardless of payment plans. i waited about 10 days after the offset to get my remaining refund last year.

Nobody answering your actual question lol. Based on your dates, if they offset on 4/18, you'll probably get the remaining refund (if any) by around 5/2-5/9. That's been pretty consistent in my experience. The notice will probably come in the mail after you already get the money 🙄 typical IRS efficiency

Wait they can take ur refund even with a payment plan??!!? I'm in the same situation and was counting on that money 😭 this is the first I'm hearing of this

This happened to me back in February! First they took part of my refund and then I got the remainder exactly 12 days later. The notice explaining the offset came about a week after I already got my money lol. The IRS works in mysterious ways 👀

I went thru this whole thing last year and it was a NIGHTMARE trying to figure out what was happening. My advice - stop trying to DIY this and get someone from the IRS on the phone who can tell you exactly what's happening with your specific account. I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) after wasting days trying to get through. Got connected to an agent who could see exactly what was happening and when I'd get my remaining refund. Talking to an actual human at the IRS was worth every penny because they released my remaining refund that same day!

Pro tip: if you're on a payment plan with the IRS, adjust your withholding at work so you NEVER get a refund. Break even or owe a small amount instead. That way they can't take your refund because there isn't one! Been doing this for years now and it works great.

It's ridiculous how the IRS operates. I just spent HOURS trying to decode my transcript to figure out why they took part of my refund when I'm already on a payment plan. Finally got smart and used taxr.ai to explain my transcript to me. It instantly showed me the offset transaction, explained exactly what happened, and gave me a timeline for when to expect my remaining refund. Saved me from pulling my hair out trying to research all these codes! https://taxr.ai

The exact same thing happened to me! They offset part of my refund on 3/22 and I got the remainder on 4/5, so about 2 weeks later. The notice explaining the offset came in the mail on 4/12... a week AFTER I already got my money 🤦‍♀️ Classic IRS efficiency

Fun fact: the IRS' official position is that refunds aren't protected by installment agreements. It's actually in Internal Revenue Manual 5.19.1.5.5 if you want to look it up. They consider refund offsets to be "non-collection actions" so they can still take your refund even when you're on a payment plan. It's a sneaky technicality!

WHY IS THE IRS LIKE THIS?!? 😫 I'm also on a payment plan and they took my entire refund this year without warning. What's even the point of the payment plan if they're just gonna take your money anyway?

I swear decoding IRS transcripts feels like being a detective in some weird tax mystery. I went down this rabbit hole last month trying to figure out what was happening with my offset. Ended up using taxr.ai which basically translated the whole transcript for me in seconds. Showed me exactly what happened with my offset and when I'd get the rest of my money. SO much easier than trying to figure it out myself!