overpayment

noun

over·​pay·​ment ˌō-vər-ˈpā-mənt 

plural overpayments

: payment that exceeds what is necessary

overpayment of taxes

… implemented electronic payrolls for all employees to prevent overpayment …

—Jocelyn Brumbaugh

also : an amount that is paid in excess

… two taxpayers could not get refunds of tax overpayments dating back more than four years …

—Samantha McCaughren

Examples of overpayment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Those candidates focus on the state’s $20 million sales tax overpayment to Fremont that the city is now paying back. —East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024

In some cases, disability beneficiaries attempted to do some work but found their efforts rewarded with large overpayments. —Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 4 Oct. 2024

Federal officials resolved more than a decade ago to crack down on whopping government overpayments to private Medicare Advantage health insurance plans, which were siphoning off billions of tax dollars every year. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2024

There is no limit for how many years the agency can go back to address such overpayments. —Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

overpayment

noun

over·​pay·​ment

ˈō-vər-ˌpā-mənt

: payment in excess of what is due