Clients tax 1040 tax 2019 went down after efile

[Ann2]

Clients tax went down $17.00 between June 9th  and July 21st when I efiled his return. There were no changes. Am I crazy..... ok, let me rephrase that: is this crazy becasue the answer to the first question is yes, I do taxes! 

[TaxGuyBill]

Do you have a copy of the e-filed return to see EXACTLY which lines changed on the 1040 and Schedules? 

[George4Tacks]

Did you do as directed and check the box in Screen 3 to apply all the new changes due to CARES? 

What happens to the bottom line if you remove that check mark.

FYI - IRS Pub 1345 would require a new signature that large a change:

"Taxpayers must sign a new declaration if the electronic return data on individual income tax returns is
changed after taxpayers signed the Declaration of Taxpayer and the amounts differ by more than either $50 to “Total income” or “AGI,” or $14 to “Total tax,” “Federal income tax withheld,” “Refund” or “Amount you owe.”

[Jays_2_bits]

This happens occasionally when the software is updated after you've prepared the return but before you e-filed it. Obviously, some update affected the calculation of something on the return. Sometimes the software has a calculation flaw, sometimes new IRS (state) guidance comes out, and then there is the retroactive legislation our Congress had developed a habit of spewing.

My procedure is to compare the Form 8879 elements to the current software calculation prior to transmitting, particularly when there has been a long delay between the return prep and the return of the 8879.