Just e-filed and realized I missed reporting a 1099-DIV income - what now?
I seriously messed up. I just submitted my 2023 tax return through TurboTax yesterday, and this morning I discovered I completely forgot to include one of my 1099-DIV forms. The amount isn't huge - it only increases my tax liability by about $28 for federal. I'm expecting around a $6.5k refund overall. Problem is, TurboTax doesn't let me electronically file a superseding return to fix my original submission. So now I'm stuck deciding whether to file an amended return right away or wait. I'm curious if anyone has dealt with a similar situation where you're expecting a refund but you accidentally claimed a slightly larger refund than you should have because of missing income? I'm worried about what's the best approach to avoid delaying my refund. Should I just let the IRS process what I already filed and wait to see what happens? Or should I e-file an amended return before April 15th? Which option is less likely to delay my refund getting processed? If the IRS doesn't catch the missing 1099-DIV and sends me the refund based on what I filed, I could always submit the amended return afterward and just pay back the extra $28 they overpaid me. But I'm not sure which scenario is more likely to flag my return and cause delays - the IRS noticing the missing form or me submitting an amendment for such a small amount?
21 comments


Fatima Al-Mansour
The IRS has a matching program that will eventually catch the missing 1099-DIV, but it might not happen right away. Your options are pretty straightforward: You can wait for your original return to process and get your refund, then file an amended return to report the missing income and pay the $28 you owe. The IRS generally prefers taxpayers to self-correct rather than waiting to be caught. Or you can file an amended return now, which acknowledges the mistake upfront but might delay your refund processing. The amended return will go through a manual review process rather than the automated processing that your original e-filed return would receive. For such a small amount, I'd personally recommend waiting for your original refund to process, then file the amendment. The IRS is unlikely to assess any meaningful penalties on $28 of tax liability, especially if you correct it voluntarily within a reasonable timeframe after discovering the error.
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Dylan Evans
•Thanks for the insight! I'm in a similar situation except my missing 1099 would result in about $60 in additional tax. Do you think there's a threshold where the IRS is more likely to catch it sooner rather than later? Also, if I wait until I get my refund to amend, would I owe interest on that $60 from the original due date?
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Fatima Al-Mansour
•For a $60 tax difference, the IRS matching system is still likely to eventually catch it, but there's no specific threshold where they prioritize cases differently - it's more about their processing schedules and workload. If you file an amended return after receiving your refund, you may owe interest on the $60 from the original due date (April 15th) until the date you pay it. But for such a small amount, the interest would be minimal - probably just a few dollars even if you wait several months.
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Sofia Gomez
Hey there! I was in almost the exact same situation last year with a forgotten 1099-DIV that added about $35 to my tax bill. I was super stressed about it until I found https://taxr.ai where you can upload your tax documents and it compares what you filed against what's been reported to the IRS. It immediately flagged my missing dividend and calculated exactly what I'd need to pay. The system told me I had two options: wait for my refund then file an amendment, or file the amendment right away. I chose to wait since the amount was small, got my refund in about 3 weeks, then filed the amendment. The IRS never sent me a notice about it because I fixed it myself. The tool even generated the amended return forms I needed with all the right numbers already filled in!
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StormChaser
•Did it actually help with filing the amendment or just tell you what was wrong? I've got THREE 1099s I just realized weren't included (small amounts from stock dividends) and I'm freaking out a bit about doing the amendment correctly.
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Dmitry Petrov
•Sounds interesting but also sounds like you're selling something... is this some paid service? How much does it cost? Seems like a lot of work just to figure out a $35 tax problem that could be solved with a simple Form 1040-X.
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Sofia Gomez
•It actually helped with the amendment by pre-filling the forms with the correct information after analyzing what I had already filed versus what documents were reported to the IRS. All I had to do was review and submit. The tool has different features for different situations - I used it because I was anxious about making mistakes with the amendment process. It's not just for finding errors but also for making sure you're maximizing your deductions and credits.
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StormChaser
I tried that taxr.ai service the other commenter suggested and WOW it saved me so much stress! I uploaded my return and tax documents and it immediately found all three of my missing 1099-DIVs (two from dividend reinvestments I forgot about and one from a closed account). The platform showed me exactly how much additional tax I owed (about $42 total) and recommended I wait for my refund before amending. I followed that advice, got my refund in 16 days, then used their amendment tool to generate and file my 1040-X. The whole process was super clear and much less stressful than I expected. It even gave me a timeline of when I should expect the amendment to be processed. I'm just relieved to have it all handled correctly now instead of worrying about getting a letter from the IRS months later!
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Ava Williams
If you're waiting for your tax refund and concerned about delays, I've found that trying to call the IRS directly is basically impossible these days. Last year I had a missing 1099 situation and spent DAYS trying to get through their phone system with no luck. Then I found https://claimyr.com which got me connected to a real IRS agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed I should wait for my original refund to process first, then file the amendment afterward. They explained the matching program might not catch small discrepancies for months, and that voluntarily fixing it shows good faith. My refund came through normally and I filed the amendment a month later with no issues. The peace of mind from talking to an actual IRS representative was totally worth it.
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Miguel Castro
•How exactly does this service work? Do they just call the IRS for you? Seems weird that they could get through when regular people can't.
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Zainab Ibrahim
•This sounds like complete BS. There's no way some random service can magically get you through to the IRS when millions of people can't get through. The IRS phone system is the same for everyone. Sounds like a scam to get desperate people's money.
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Ava Williams
•They use an automated system that continuously redials and navigates the IRS phone tree until it gets through, then it calls you and connects you directly to the IRS agent. It basically does the waiting for you instead of you having to sit on hold forever. The service works because the IRS phone systems are overwhelmed with call volume, not because they're intentionally blocking people. Having an automated system that can persistently try different numbers and navigate the phone tree is much more efficient than a human manually redialing over and over.
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Zainab Ibrahim
I take back what I said about Claimyr. I was super skeptical but decided to try it when I couldn't get through to the IRS after 8 attempts over 3 days. I needed to verify whether I should amend now or wait for processing on a return with a similar issue. The service actually worked exactly as advertised. I got a call back in about 35 minutes and was connected directly to an IRS representative who answered all my questions about my missing 1099-INT. The agent told me their internal guidance is to wait for the original return to process for small amounts under $100, then file the amendment. Saved me countless hours of frustration and got me a clear answer directly from the source. I'll definitely use this again next time I need to talk to the IRS about something.
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Connor O'Neill
In my experience as a tax preparer, the IRS matching program typically doesn't process document matching until late summer or fall, so you have plenty of time to amend after getting your refund. The amounts are small enough that penalties would be negligible even if you wait. One thing to consider: if you received the 1099-DIV, the IRS definitely received it too. Their systems will eventually flag the discrepancy. Better to fix it on your terms than wait for them to send you a notice, which could include penalties and interest from the original due date.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Does the IRS typically waive penalties if you voluntarily amend before they catch the discrepancy? I'm stressed about whether waiting for my refund first could make me look bad, even though it's such a small amount.
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Connor O'Neill
•Yes, the IRS is generally more lenient with penalties when you voluntarily correct errors before they discover them. For a small amount like $28, they would likely not assess an accuracy-related penalty at all, especially if you file the amendment relatively promptly after discovering the error. The IRS understands that mistakes happen, and they view voluntary compliance favorably. Waiting for your refund first is a common approach for small discrepancies and won't make you look bad. Just be sure to file the amendment within a reasonable timeframe - ideally within the same year.
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LunarEclipse
I missed reporting a 1099-B last year and the IRS actually adjusted my refund automatically. They sent me a notice saying they had information that didn't match my return, showed the calculation, and reduced my refund by the appropriate amount. No penalties since the difference was under $1000. I didn't even have to file an amended return! Might not be the same for everyone but thought I'd share my experience.
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Yara Khalil
•Was that for a large amount? I've heard they only do automatic adjustments if the tax difference is significant. Also, how long did it take them to process your refund after they made the adjustment?
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LunarEclipse
•It was for about $150 in additional tax. They processed my refund with the adjustment about 4 weeks after I filed, which was only about a week later than my previous year's refund had taken. The notice came at the same time as my refund deposit, explaining the difference between what I requested and what they sent. It was surprisingly straightforward. I've heard they're more likely to do this simple adjustment process for straightforward income items like 1099s rather than more complex issues.
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Aisha Rahman
I'm dealing with something similar but mine's a bit more complicated - I forgot to include a 1099-R from an old 401k rollover that had taxes withheld. The additional tax owed is only about $45, but I'm worried because it involves retirement account reporting. Based on what everyone's saying here, it sounds like waiting for the original refund to process first is the safer bet for small amounts. My concern is whether retirement account discrepancies get flagged differently than regular dividend income. Does anyone know if 1099-R matching happens on the same timeline as other 1099 forms? Also really appreciate the practical advice from the tax preparer - knowing that the matching typically doesn't happen until late summer gives me some peace of mind about the timing.
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Margot Quinn
•From what I understand, 1099-R forms are actually processed through the same document matching system as other 1099 forms, so the timeline should be similar. However, retirement account discrepancies might get a bit more scrutiny since they involve withholding and potential penalties. For your situation with the 401k rollover, the IRS will see both the distribution and the taxes that were withheld. If you properly reported the rollover but just missed including the form, the main issue would be the missing withholding credit rather than unreported income. This could actually work in your favor since you might be entitled to a larger refund once corrected. I'd still recommend the same approach - wait for your original refund, then file the amendment. The $45 difference is small enough that penalties would be minimal even if they catch it first. Just make sure when you amend that you're properly claiming credit for the taxes that were withheld from the distribution.
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