What happens if I file my federal taxes twice and the second one comes out with a bigger return?

Hi guys,

This might sound like a weird situation, but here’s what happened: I filed my federal taxes using the IRS free fillable forms and received a refund. Then, I tried filing my state taxes through a recommended website, but it got rejected, and the website wasn’t great. So, I switched to TurboTax. After filling everything out again, my federal tax refund ended up being almost double the amount I originally got from the IRS.

I think I made a mistake somewhere. What happens if I file my federal taxes twice? Will the IRS accept the larger refund amount? Is there a way to cancel my original filing if that’s possible?

1 Like

I know how frustrating it can be, generally speaking, the IRS rejects repeated files for the same year. They will probably accept the first return and turn down the second. You can file an amended return (Form 1040-X) to fix any mistakes you believe you committed. Your refund will be adjusted by the IRS accordingly. For assistance with this, it is preferable to speak with an IRS representative directly or seek advice from a tax expert.