If you got your tax return done on time, you may have been unpleasantly surprised by what you received when your tax refund arrived. Most refunds have either already arrived or are in the process of going out now, so read up on the new article “Why Was My Tax Refund Incorrect?” before you get your hopes too high about your refund.

There is a laundry list of reasons why your refund may not have been what you expected, including:

• You claimed a refundable tax credit that the IRS Criminal Investigation Division is examining in more depth. That part of the refund may be delayed by a couple of weeks.
• You owe the IRS money for a prior year.
• You owe money to a state.
• You have unemployment compensation that needs to be repaid.
• You owe money to the Social Security Administration.
• You owe money on a student loan.
• You owe child support or spousal support and a state agency filed a lien against your tax refunds.

And, there are many more reasons why you may not get back as much as you thought. For example, your state can hold back money for fines you owe, including parking and traffic tickets.

If you didn’t get the full amount, you can find out more on the “Where’s my Refund” IRS site. Your state’s tax agency will also have a website with more information.