My tax software glitched and filed my return wrong

I was at my kitchen table last Tuesday finishing my taxes with TurboTax. I entered all my 1099 forms from freelance work, about $12,000 total. The software showed a $900 refund, so I hit submit. Two days later, I got an email from the IRS saying my return was accepted but the numbers didn't match their records. I checked my copy and the software had only reported $1,200 of my freelance income. I had to file an amended return immediately. Has anyone else had a major software error like this, and how did you fix it?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma_young2d ago

Oh man, that "accepted but didn't match" email is the worst kind of surprise. I had a similar glitch with a different program where it dropped a whole form. Amending it was a huge pain, but you did the right thing filing the correction fast. I don't trust any software completely now, I double check the actual PDF before submitting.

grant.kevin2d ago

Actually, that email usually means the data itself was wrong, not a software glitch. The system accepted the initial file format but then found a mismatch during the official check. It's super common with things like names not matching exactly between forms. Checking the final PDF is still the best move though, because you're right, you can't trust it to be perfect.