Where's the Money? What Happened If Your Refund Wasn't All You'd Expected

Where's the Money? What Happened If Your Refund Wasn't All You'd Expected

At PRO-TAX we work hard to get you the maximum tax refund to which you are entitled under the law. But sometimes the final amount issued doesn't match up with what you expected to get. What happened between the filing of your return and the issuing of your refund check?

The answer in most cases is that you owed money to the government (or to someone the government ordered you to pay). Congress authorized the Department of Treasury's Financial Management Service (FMS) to deduct from income tax refunds to pay any such debts. These debts include past-due child support, non-tax debts to Federal agencies, or unpaid state income tax obligations. Simply put, the government takes any money it thinks you owe it before you receive your refund. Your final refund amount is whatever is left over (if anything).

If this occurs, the FMS will send you a notice informing you what agency claimed you had a debt and the amount they took from your refund. If you do not receive the notice, call 800–304–3107 or TDD 866–297–0517. Do NOT call the IRS (unless the original refund amount shown in the notice is different from what you were told you would receive).

What If You Think the Deduction Was Wrong?

If you believe that the amount deducted from your refund is wrong or that you do not owe the debt shown in the notice, you have the right to challenge the finding.

• If your return was filed by PRO-TAX, simply bring the FMS notice to the PRO-TAX office that prepared your original return. Our representative will help you file a claim with the agency that claimed you owed a debt.
• Otherwise, contact the agency claiming the debt. Its name and contact information are on the notice you received from the FMS. Remember, only contact the IRS if you are disputing the original refund amount as shown on the FMS notice.

One more thing: If you filed your income tax jointly but you are not responsible for the debt that was deducted, you may be entitled to receive your full portion of the original refund. You will need to fill out Form 8379. Attach form 8379 to your original tax filing form if you know in advance that there may be a claim against your spouse’s refund, and write “INJURED SPOUSE” on the upper-left corner of the tax filing form. If you receive an FMS notice of such a claim after you filed, just submit the 8379 form by itself. Processing of these claims can take 11-14 weeks.

If you have questions not answered here, contact your PRO-TAX office or the FMS directly at 800-304-3107.

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