Turbotax/NY State Tax Miscommunication

March 8, 2021 4:22 AM

I've run into a frustrating problem with my state taxes - not the filing, but the tracking. Can anyone help? Details inside.

I used Turbotax to file my return for both federal and state. I got a refund in both cases - the state refund was unusually hefty, so I'm interested in getting that. I've gotten my federal refund already.

My state refund is another story - and here's where we get to the problem. I haven't gotten it yet, and am trying to find out when I might get it. I am using the state refund tracker, which asks you to enter your social security number, the form you filed, and the whole dollar amount of what you're claiming on your refund. However, when I do that, the state refund tracker only tells me that the amount I've entered "doesn't match the amount on your New York State Return", and doesn't give any further details.

I've double- and triple-checked the amount from my return, and I am entering the correct number. I have even followed the instructions on the NY State site for "how to find the requested refund amount on your tax form". They confirm that they HAVE it, but they say they can't tell me when I will get it because they are convinced I am mis-entering the dollar amount.

Huh? What do I do now?

posted by EmpressCallipygos to Work & Money (5 answers total)

Can you escalate to a supervisor or other higher-tier person? Hopefully someone slightly more senior will be willing to listen to the facts of the situation instead of following whatever script they have been assigned.
posted by Alensin at 11:38 AM on March 8, 2021

Response by poster: A supervisor where, though?....is this a Turbotax problem or a tax department problem?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:47 PM on March 8, 2021

I would start with the tax department since they are presumably the ones refusing to accept your refund amount.
posted by Alensin at 3:55 PM on March 8, 2021

Response by poster: Metabaroque - yes to both. I am following the NY STate guidelines for "where to locate the amount of your requested tax refund" to the letter ("it will be line 78 of your return").

I've downloaded a copy of the file and I got a number for someone at NY State tax office; I'll try calling them this morning.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:06 AM on March 9, 2021

Response by poster: Welp - I'm going to mark this "resolved" only because I at least know where the problem sits, but the problem is not "resolved" in the sense that anyone seems to know what the heck is going on. The NY State tax people said that a) my return was "undergoing additional review", b) they did not know why the web site I was using did not recognize the "requested tax refund" I was entering because it was correct, and c) that I should continue to check that same web site periodically and call them back if I didn't get my refund in 30 days. Which...is an answer I suppose.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:15 AM on March 9, 2021