Why did my refund amount change

If your refund changed while you were working on your return, it's usually because you entered new information, such as a W-2, and your tax liability and refund amount updated automatically. Adding new information for deductions or credits could reduce your liability and make your refund go up, while adding new income items could increase your liability and make your refund go down.

If your refund changed after you submitted your return, this means the IRS either made changes your return or used part of your refund to pay a past due debt to another government agency such as Department of Education, Department of Labor, etc. You can check Where's My Refund, and the system will tell you if your refund has been adjusted or offset.