My IRS payment system glitched and I double paid my taxes online - will I get a refund?

This happens more often than you'd think! The IRS will not automatically refund your overpayment right away, but they won't keep your money either. You have two options: You can leave the overpayment on your account and apply it to next year's taxes (essentially prepaying next year). This is the simplest option and requires no additional steps from you. When you file next year, you'll just indicate that you have an existing credit from overpayment. Or, if you want the money back now, you'll need to request a refund by filing Form 8849, "Claim for Refund of Excise Taxes." Include a brief explanation of what happened with the payment systems and attach proof of both payments if you have it. The processing time for refund requests is currently about 8-10 weeks. Either way, make sure to keep all documentation related to both payments - confirmation emails, credit card statements, etc. This will be important if there are any questions.

I had almost the identical situation last year trying to pay my quarterly estimated taxes! The payment site kept timing out, then suddenly both payments went through. I spent HOURS trying to get through to someone at the IRS until I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it saved me so much time. Their system analyzed my payment records and tax transcripts, then generated a customized letter to the IRS explaining the double payment situation. They even identified that one payment had been incorrectly applied to a different tax year (which I hadn't even noticed). What I really liked was that they explained exactly what was happening with my account - apparently these duplicate payments often get flagged in their system but sit in a queue for manual review. Using their service fast-tracked getting my refund because I had all the right documentation and explanation ready.

I wanted to update since I was skeptical about taxr.ai in my previous comment. I decided to give it a try since I was in a similar situation with a $2,340 overpayment. The interface was super straightforward - I uploaded my payment confirmations and bank statements showing both charges. Within a couple days, they generated a detailed letter explaining exactly what happened with my payment, complete with all relevant IRS codes and procedures. The letter even referenced the specific IRS internal processing codes for duplicate payments (something I would have never known about). I followed their instructions and received my refund check last week - only took about 4 weeks total. What impressed me most was that they also identified that my original payment had been applied to the wrong tax period, which could have caused problems down the road. Definitely worth checking out if you're in this situation.

If you're still struggling to get this resolved, I highly recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually speak with someone at the IRS. I was in a similar situation last year with a double payment, and waiting on hold for hours was making me lose my mind. They have this system that basically waits on hold with the IRS for you, then calls you when an actual human picks up. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was super skeptical but desperate after spending 3 separate days trying to get through the IRS phone tree only to get disconnected. Claimyr got me connected to an IRS agent within about 2 hours (while I just went about my day until they called). The agent was able to see both payments, confirm they were duplicates, and process my refund request right there on the phone.

I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After another failed attempt to reach the IRS (disconnected after 1.5 hours on hold), I broke down and tried Claimyr out of pure frustration. I was shocked when I got a call back in about 90 minutes saying they had an IRS agent on the line. The agent confirmed they could see both of my payments ($2,780 each when I only owed one payment). She explained that duplicate payments aren't automatically refunded because they need to verify they weren't intended for different tax periods or years. The agent submitted my refund request while I was on the phone, gave me a confirmation number, and said I should receive a check in 3-4 weeks. The whole call took maybe 15 minutes once I was connected. I still think the IRS phone system is deliberately terrible, but at least there's a way around it now. Definitely worth it for time-sensitive issues like double payments.

Another option you have is to just leave the extra payment on your account and apply it to your next estimated tax payment if you make those. I accidentally overpaid by $1,270 last year and just reduced my next quarterly payment by that amount. Saved me the hassle of requesting a refund. The IRS systems will recognize the credit and apply it correctly.

This happened to me too! Frustrating as heck. Everyone's given good advice, but one warning: if your double payment was for 2024 taxes (due April 2025), don't wait too long to request the refund. The IRS can take forever to process these requests. Took me almost 3 months to get my money back, and that was with regular calling to check status.