Whether you understand enough about tax law to prepare your own tax return or you called in a pro to file your taxes, you probably believe your tax return was correct. But what if your refund is much less than you expected it to be?…

Whether you understand enough about tax law to prepare your own tax return or you called in a pro to file your taxes, you probably believe your tax return was correct. But what if your refund is much less than you expected it to be? Why would this happen? How would you get the details? What can you do to fix the problem?

Why didn’t I receive my expected tax refund?

Your refund can be held back for a variety of reasons, and the offset may be due to your tax issues or the tax issues of your spouse.

Your refund could be held back if:

• You claimed a refundable tax credit that the IRS Criminal Investigation Division is examining in more depth. That part of the refund may be delayed by a couple of weeks. • You owe the IRS money for a prior year. • You owe money to a state. • You have unemployment compensation that needs to be repaid. • You owe money to the Social Security Administration. • You owe money on a student loan. • You owe child support or spousal support and a state agency filed a lien...