Letter received letter from IRS where they indicate that my line 15 & 11 are identical to theirs. However, they claim ProSeries under calculated line 16 by $900.

[chapguy19]

The client's tax return is very simple with just a W-2 and a child.
How do I determine whether either of us are correct.
Who do I believe and how do I appeal to the IRS?

[Jim-from-Ohio]

There is usually more information on those letters.. did maybe the client have more than one W-2 and they only gave you one?

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Back in the days pre-2018 I knew pretty much all the line numbers off the top of my head, not so much anymore....now I have to pull up a dang form to see what line is what.

So no capital gains on the return?  Just a W2?  Oh, I misread, they UNDERcalculated by $900, weird.   The withholdings are shown correctly, its just the tax is different?

[Terry53029]

1040 line 16 is tax on line 15. Is line 16 -1,2, or 3 checked ?

[chapguy19]

Yes, the IRS had acknowledged that line 11 and line 15 are the same as I have.  Line 16 for the IRS is $900 higher than what ProSeries calculated.

This is 2021 tax return.

[chapguy19]

Line 16, l, 2, 3 are not checked.

[chapguy19]

More than one W-2 would generate different line 11 and 15.

The IRS's are the same as mine.

[chapguy19]

Yes, it is just line 16 that is different, which is above all the tax credits, etc.

[chapguy19]

No extra W-2.

Nothing different that line 16, Tax.

[BobKamman]

Income, filing status, dependents, tax, withholding.  what are the numbers you came up with, what are the numbers that IRS came up with?  A $900 difference suggests many things, but one could be $100 transcribed as $1,000, either on your end or IRS end.  Paper filed, or e-filed?

[Just-Lisa-Now- · Accepted solution]

Is this a CP2000 notice for 2021?  If so, there should be more info than just that Line difference.

[chapguy19]

Yes, there was more than met the eye.

The client should have reported her Advanced Child Tax Credit payments to the IRS, which were $900.

She filed MFS and, I suspect, the letter hit the household and she never saw it.

Interesting, the IRS claimed that line 16 was what needed to change, when, in fact, it was 23, Other Taxes.

Thank you all for your help.