TurboTax prompted me to mail 1040-V after e-filing my amended tax return... but I'm due a refund?
I just e-filed my amended tax return through TurboTax and I'm super confused. Right after submitting, this weird message popped up in a foreign language saying I need to mail in Form 1040-V with payment of $2,700. But here's the thing - I literally amended my return BECAUSE I overpaid my taxes! According to my calculations, I should be getting back around $205, not owing anything. The whole point of filing the amendment was to get back money that I already overpaid to the IRS. So why is TurboTax telling me I need to include a payment voucher? It makes zero sense. The system seems totally confused about my situation. Should I just ignore this 1040-V message since I'm expecting a refund? Has anyone else dealt with this weird glitch? I'm worried if I ignore it something will get messed up, but I also don't want to accidentally send money I don't actually owe!
20 comments
Join the conversation
Madison King
This actually happens fairly often with amended returns in TurboTax. The 1040-V is automatically generated by the system when it detects any potential payment situation, but it doesn't always properly recognize when an amendment is resulting in a refund rather than a payment due. Here's what you should do: Since your amended return is showing you're due a refund of $205, you can safely ignore the 1040-V form and the payment request. The 1040-V is only required when you actually owe money. When you're receiving a refund, there's no payment to make, so no voucher is needed. Double-check your amended return (Form 1040-X) to confirm it clearly shows the refund amount. The important thing is that your 1040-X accurately reflects your tax situation, not the automated message that appeared afterward.
0 coins
Julian Paolo
•Thanks for this explanation! I had something similar happen last year. But quick question - will ignoring the 1040-V cause any processing delays with the amended return? I've heard amended returns already take forever to process.
0 coins
Madison King
•Ignoring the 1040-V won't cause any processing delays in your case. The 1040-V is strictly a payment voucher, and since you're not making a payment, it's not needed or expected by the IRS. Amended returns do generally take longer to process than regular returns - currently about 16-20 weeks according to the IRS. This timeline isn't affected by whether a 1040-V is included, but rather by the IRS backlog and the more complex nature of processing amendments.
0 coins
Ella Knight
I had a similar issue and found taxr.ai really helpful for figuring out what to do. I was getting contradictory information about an amended return and wasn't sure if I needed to send in additional forms. Uploaded my tax documents to https://taxr.ai and it analyzed everything and confirmed that I didn't need to submit the 1040-V since I was due a refund. Saved me from potentially making a big mistake and sending money I didn't owe!
0 coins
William Schwarz
•How does taxr.ai work exactly? Do you have to upload your actual tax forms with all your sensitive information? Seems risky to share all that data.
0 coins
Lauren Johnson
•Does it actually provide better info than just calling the IRS directly? I'm always skeptical of these third-party services when you could just get the answer straight from the source.
0 coins
Ella Knight
•The system uses secure encryption when you upload documents, and they have a pretty solid privacy policy. I was initially concerned about that too, but it only needs to see the tax forms to analyze them - you can even block out certain parts if you're worried. As for calling the IRS directly, good luck with that! I tried calling multiple times before using taxr.ai and couldn't get through to a real person. Even when I did, the agent wasn't familiar with the specific amended return situation I was dealing with. The AI service was able to reference specific IRS publications and explain exactly why the 1040-V wasn't needed in my case.
0 coins
Lauren Johnson
Just wanted to follow up - I decided to try taxr.ai after my skeptical comment and wow, I'm actually impressed! The system immediately identified that my TurboTax was generating an incorrect 1040-V request. It even cited the specific IRS publication explaining why a payment voucher isn't required when an amended return results in a refund. I was genuinely surprised by how straightforward the process was. Got a clear answer in minutes instead of the hours I spent searching online forums. Definitely beats my previous strategy of just guessing and hoping for the best!
0 coins
Jade Santiago
If you're still having trouble with your amended return after e-filing, I highly recommend using Claimyr to get in touch with the IRS directly. I kept getting different answers online about a similar 1040-V issue with my amended return, and finally decided I needed to hear directly from the IRS. Used https://claimyr.com to get through to an agent without the typical 2+ hour wait. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent confirmed that if your amended return shows a refund, you absolutely do not need to submit the 1040-V payment voucher. They also gave me a confirmation number for the call which I saved in case there were any questions later.
0 coins
Caleb Stone
•Wait, so this service actually gets you through to a real IRS agent? How does that even work? I've literally spent HOURS on hold with them before giving up.
0 coins
Daniel Price
•Yeah right. Nothing can get you through the IRS phone system faster. This sounds like a complete scam to me. They probably just charge you and then you still wait forever.
0 coins
Jade Santiago
•It uses a system that navigates the IRS phone tree and waits on hold for you. When an agent picks up, you get a call connecting you directly to them. It saved me about 2 hours of hold time. As for the skepticism, I totally get it. I thought the same thing initially - seemed too good to be true. But it's just a hold service, not claiming to have special IRS access or anything shady. They just do the waiting for you so you don't have to listen to that awful hold music for hours.
0 coins
Daniel Price
Ok I need to eat my words here. After posting my skeptical comment, I was still desperate to talk to someone at the IRS about my amended return issues, so I tried Claimyr despite my doubts. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of the 3+ hours I spent on my previous attempt (where I eventually hung up). The agent confirmed exactly what others have said here - the 1040-V is NOT needed when your amended return shows a refund due. She also gave me the direct line to the amended return department and noted my account with the correction. Worth every penny for the time saved and peace of mind from getting an official answer.
0 coins
Olivia Evans
I think what happened is that TurboTax often defaults to generating the 1040-V regardless of your actual tax situation. I work at an accounting firm and see this all the time. The important thing is what's actually on your 1040-X form (the amended return). If line 20 shows a refund amount, you're good to go - no payment voucher needed!
0 coins
Sophia Bennett
•Is there a way to check the status of an amended return online? Or do you have to call the IRS? Filed mine about 8 weeks ago and no updates.
0 coins
Olivia Evans
•Yes, you can check the status of your amended return using the "Where's My Amended Return" tool on the IRS website. You'll need your SSN, date of birth, and ZIP code. That said, be patient as amended returns are currently taking 16-20 weeks to process according to the IRS. At 8 weeks, it's likely still being processed and may not show up in the system yet. If you don't see any updates after 12 weeks, then it might be worth calling to check.
0 coins
Aiden Chen
I encountered this exact same situation! TurboTax is really buggy with amended returns. When I e-filed mine through TT, it also gave me a 1040-V even though I was due a refund of about $340. I ignored it completely and still got my refund (though it took almost 4 months to arrive).
0 coins
Zoey Bianchi
•4 months?! Omg that's insane. Did you ever call to check on it or did you just wait it out?
0 coins
Fiona Gallagher
I'm dealing with this exact same issue right now! Filed my amended return last week and got that confusing 1040-V message even though I'm expecting a refund of around $450. It's so frustrating when the software gives you contradictory information. Reading through all these responses has been super helpful - sounds like this is a common TurboTax glitch and I can safely ignore the payment voucher request since my 1040-X clearly shows a refund amount on line 20. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences! It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one who's encountered this confusing situation. Now I just need to be patient and wait for the processing... though hearing it can take 4+ months is pretty discouraging!
0 coins
Mikayla Davison
•I went through this exact same frustrating experience! The good news is that you're absolutely right to ignore the 1040-V - it's definitely a TurboTax glitch that happens way more often than it should. Since your 1040-X shows a refund on line 20, you're all set. Just a heads up though - while 4+ months sounds terrible, it really varies. Mine took about 18 weeks, but I've seen people get theirs in 12-14 weeks too. The IRS has been pretty backed up with amended returns, so patience is key. You can check the status using their "Where's My Amended Return" tool online after about 3 weeks from when you filed. Hang in there - your refund will come! The waiting is definitely the worst part of this whole process.
0 coins