The IRS Just Took My Refund. What Can I Do to Get it Back?

On: March 1, 2019

File a Form 843 and wait. The IRS takes your refund if you owe the IRS for back taxes or you owe another state or federal agency a debt. In the latter case, it is an immediate offset by the Federal government and may not necessarily be the IRS that is involved.  In either case, if you do owe the money, the refund will not be returned to you and will be used to offset IRS or other government owed debt. In the case you feel you do not owe the debt and feel the refund should be returned to you, you may want to consider hiring a tax professional, preferably a tax attorney. Once the refund has entered the belly of the beast, it is extremely hard for the IRS to return your refund, even if individuals you speak with understand, agree with you and want to be of assistance. I have never had a refund returned from the IRS without an appeal, except in one or two instances. The entire thing is computer run and you have to get the case in front of a human being in order for the IRS to even conceive they may have made a mistake in taking your refund. The initial procedure takes about 6 months, and the appeal can take 3 to 6 more months in addition.