diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/1059-iam_user-add-new-ret-val-handle-errors.yml b/changelogs/fragments/1059-iam_user-add-new-ret-val-handle-errors.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..77cc115f7aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/1059-iam_user-add-new-ret-val-handle-errors.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+minor_changes:
+- iam_user - add `user` value to return data structure to deprecate old `iam_user` (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.aws/pull/1059).
+bugfixes:
+- iam_user - don't delete user login profile on check mode (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.aws/pull/1059).
+- iam_user_info - gracefully handle when no users are found (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.aws/pull/1059).
diff --git a/plugins/modules/iam_user.py b/plugins/modules/iam_user.py
index 6266d992003..b820c60dedb 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/iam_user.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/iam_user.py
@@ -161,20 +161,20 @@
         user_id:
             description: the stable and unique string identifying the user
             type: str
-            sample: AGPAIDBWE12NSFINE55TM
+            sample: "AGPAIDBWE12NSFINE55TM"
         user_name:
             description: the friendly name that identifies the user
             type: str
-            sample: testuser1
+            sample: "testuser1"
         path:
             description: the path to the user
             type: str
-            sample: /
+            sample: "/"
         tags:
             description: user tags
             type: dict
             returned: always
-            sample: '{"Env": "Prod"}'
+            sample: {"Env": "Prod"}
 '''
 
 try:
@@ -228,10 +228,6 @@ def convert_friendly_names_to_arns(connection, module, policy_names):
 
 
 def wait_iam_exists(connection, module):
-    if module.check_mode:
-        return
-    if not module.params.get('wait'):
-        return
 
     user_name = module.params.get('name')
     wait_timeout = module.params.get('wait_timeout')
@@ -263,6 +259,7 @@ def create_or_update_login_profile(connection, module):
     try:
         retval = connection.update_login_profile(**user_params)
     except is_boto3_error_code('NoSuchEntity'):
+        # Login profile does not yet exist - create it
         try:
             retval = connection.create_login_profile(**user_params)
         except (botocore.exceptions.ClientError, botocore.exceptions.BotoCoreError) as e:
@@ -274,14 +271,26 @@ def create_or_update_login_profile(connection, module):
 
 
 def delete_login_profile(connection, module):
-
+    '''
+    Deletes a users login profile.
+        Parameters:
+            connection: IAM client
+            module: AWSModule
+        Returns:
+            (bool): True if login profile deleted, False if no login profile found to delete
+    '''
     user_params = dict()
     user_params['UserName'] = module.params.get('name')
 
-    try:
-        connection.delete_login_profile(**user_params)
-    except (botocore.exceptions.ClientError, botocore.exceptions.BotoCoreError) as e:
-        module.fail_json_aws(e, msg="Unable to delete user login profile")
+    # User does not have login profile - nothing to delete
+    if not user_has_login_profile(connection, module, user_params['UserName']):
+        return False
+
+    if not module.check_mode:
+        try:
+            connection.delete_login_profile(**user_params)
+        except (botocore.exceptions.ClientError, botocore.exceptions.BotoCoreError) as e:  # pylint: disable=duplicate-except
+            module.fail_json_aws(e, msg="Unable to delete user login profile")
 
     return True
 
@@ -331,6 +340,9 @@ def create_or_update_user(connection, module):
         update_result = update_user_tags(connection, module, params, user)
 
         if module.params['update_password'] == "always" and module.params.get('password') is not None:
+            # Can't compare passwords, so just return changed on check mode runs
+            if module.check_mode:
+                module.exit_json(changed=True)
             login_profile_result, login_profile_data = create_or_update_login_profile(connection, module)
 
             if login_profile_data.get('LoginProfile', {}).get('PasswordResetRequired', False):
@@ -382,7 +394,7 @@ def create_or_update_user(connection, module):
         # `LoginProfile` is only returned on `create_login_profile` method
         user['user']['password_reset_required'] = login_profile_data.get('LoginProfile', {}).get('PasswordResetRequired', False)
 
-    module.exit_json(changed=changed, iam_user=user)
+    module.exit_json(changed=changed, iam_user=user, user=user['user'])
 
 
 def destroy_user(connection, module):
@@ -412,7 +424,7 @@ def destroy_user(connection, module):
             connection.delete_access_key(UserName=user_name, AccessKeyId=access_key["AccessKeyId"])
 
         # Remove user's login profile (console password)
-        delete_user_login_profile(connection, module, user_name)
+        delete_login_profile(connection, module)
 
         # Remove user's ssh public keys
         ssh_public_keys = connection.list_ssh_public_keys(UserName=user_name)["SSHPublicKeys"]
@@ -495,6 +507,25 @@ def delete_user_login_profile(connection, module, user_name):
         module.fail_json_aws(e, msg="Unable to delete login profile for user {0}".format(user_name))
 
 
+def user_has_login_profile(connection, module, name):
+    '''
+    Returns whether or not given user has a login profile.
+        Parameters:
+            connection: IAM client
+            module: AWSModule
+            name (str): Username of user
+        Returns:
+            (bool): True if user had login profile, False if not
+    '''
+    try:
+        connection.get_login_profile(UserName=name)
+    except is_boto3_error_code('NoSuchEntity'):
+        return False
+    except (botocore.exceptions.ClientError, botocore.exceptions.BotoCoreError) as e:  # pylint: disable=duplicate-except
+        module.fail_json_aws(e, msg="Unable to get login profile for user {0}".format(name))
+    return True
+
+
 def update_user_tags(connection, module, params, user):
     user_name = params['UserName']
     existing_tags = user['user']['tags']
@@ -543,6 +574,9 @@ def main():
         mutually_exclusive=[['password', 'remove_password']],
     )
 
+    module.deprecate("The 'iam_user' return key is deprecated and will be replaced by 'user'. Both values are returned for now.",
+                     date='2024-05-01', collection_name='community.aws')
+
     connection = module.client('iam')
 
     state = module.params.get("state")
diff --git a/plugins/modules/iam_user_info.py b/plugins/modules/iam_user_info.py
index e8fa1ac028a..ee6224880cd 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/iam_user_info.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/iam_user_info.py
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@
 from ansible.module_utils.common.dict_transformations import camel_dict_to_snake_dict
 
 from ansible_collections.amazon.aws.plugins.module_utils.core import AnsibleAWSModule
+from ansible_collections.amazon.aws.plugins.module_utils.core import is_boto3_error_code
 from ansible_collections.amazon.aws.plugins.module_utils.ec2 import AWSRetry
 from ansible_collections.amazon.aws.plugins.module_utils.ec2 import boto3_tag_list_to_ansible_dict
 
@@ -142,14 +143,18 @@ def list_iam_users(connection, module):
             params['UserName'] = name
         try:
             iam_users.append(connection.get_user(**params)['User'])
-        except (ClientError, BotoCoreError) as e:
+        except is_boto3_error_code('NoSuchEntity'):
+            pass
+        except (ClientError, BotoCoreError) as e:  # pylint: disable=duplicate-except
             module.fail_json_aws(e, msg="Couldn't get IAM user info for user %s" % name)
 
     if group:
         params['GroupName'] = group
         try:
             iam_users = list_iam_users_with_backoff(connection, 'get_group', **params)['Users']
-        except (ClientError, BotoCoreError) as e:
+        except is_boto3_error_code('NoSuchEntity'):
+            pass
+        except (ClientError, BotoCoreError) as e:  # pylint: disable=duplicate-except
             module.fail_json_aws(e, msg="Couldn't get IAM user info for group %s" % group)
         if name:
             iam_users = [user for user in iam_users if user['UserName'] == name]
@@ -158,7 +163,9 @@ def list_iam_users(connection, module):
         params['PathPrefix'] = path
         try:
             iam_users = list_iam_users_with_backoff(connection, 'list_users', **params)['Users']
-        except (ClientError, BotoCoreError) as e:
+        except is_boto3_error_code('NoSuchEntity'):
+            pass
+        except (ClientError, BotoCoreError) as e:  # pylint: disable=duplicate-except
             module.fail_json_aws(e, msg="Couldn't get IAM user info for path %s" % path)
         if name:
             iam_users = [user for user in iam_users if user['UserName'] == name]
diff --git a/tests/integration/targets/iam_user/tasks/main.yml b/tests/integration/targets/iam_user/tasks/main.yml
index e62d64e3791..69623e6ff33 100644
--- a/tests/integration/targets/iam_user/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/tests/integration/targets/iam_user/tasks/main.yml
@@ -44,6 +44,18 @@
       that:
         - iam_user is changed
 
+  - name: ensure test user exists (no change - check mode)
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user }}"
+      state: present
+    register: iam_user
+    check_mode: yes
+
+  - name: assert that user would not change
+    assert:
+      that:
+        - iam_user is not changed
+
   - name: ensure test user exists (no change)
     iam_user:
       name: "{{ test_user }}"
@@ -61,8 +73,8 @@
 
   - assert:
       that:
-        - 'test_iam_user.arn.startswith("arn:aws:iam")'
-        - 'test_iam_user.arn.endswith("user/" + test_user )'
+        - test_iam_user.arn.startswith("arn:aws:iam")
+        - test_iam_user.arn.endswith("user/" + test_user )
         - test_iam_user.create_date is not none
         - test_iam_user.path == '{{ test_path }}'
         - test_iam_user.user_id is not none
@@ -82,8 +94,6 @@
       name: "{{ test_user }}"
     register: iam_user_info
 
-  - debug: var=iam_user_info
-
   - assert:
       that:
         - iam_user_info.iam_users | length == 1
@@ -94,6 +104,8 @@
         - iam_user_info.iam_users[0].user_name == test_iam_user.user_name
         - iam_user_info.iam_users[0].tags | length == 0
 
+  # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
   - name: create test user with password (check mode)
     iam_user:
       name: "{{ test_user3 }}"
@@ -113,6 +125,7 @@
       password: "{{ test_password }}"
       password_reset_required: yes
       state: present
+      wait: False
     register: iam_user
 
   - name: assert that the second user is created
@@ -137,8 +150,22 @@
         - iam_user_info.iam_users[0].user_name == test_iam_user.user_name
         - iam_user_info.iam_users[0].tags | length == 0
 
+  # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   ## Test tags creation / updates
-  - name: "Add Tag"
+  - name: Add Tag (check mode)
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user }}"
+      state: present
+      tags:
+        TagA: ValueA
+    register: iam_user
+    check_mode: yes
+
+  - assert:
+      that:
+        - iam_user is changed
+
+  - name: Add Tag
     iam_user:
       name: "{{ test_user }}"
       state: present
@@ -154,7 +181,20 @@
         - '"TagA" in iam_user.iam_user.user.tags'
         - iam_user.iam_user.user.tags.TagA == "ValueA"
 
-  - name: "Add Tag (no change)"
+  - name: Add Tag (no change - check mode)
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user }}"
+      state: present
+      tags:
+        TagA: ValueA
+    register: iam_user
+    check_mode: yes
+
+  - assert:
+      that:
+        - iam_user is not changed
+
+  - name: Add Tag (no change)
     iam_user:
       name: "{{ test_user }}"
       state: present
@@ -235,6 +275,19 @@
         - '"TagA" in iam_user.iam_user.user.tags'
         - iam_user.iam_user.user.tags.TagA == "ValueA"
 
+  - name: "Change Tag (check mode)"
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user }}"
+      state: present
+      tags:
+        TagA: AnotherValueA
+    register: iam_user
+    check_mode: yes
+
+  - assert:
+      that:
+        - iam_user is changed
+
   - name: "Change Tag"
     iam_user:
       name: "{{ test_user }}"
@@ -264,7 +317,34 @@
         - iam_user.iam_user.user.user_name == test_user
         - iam_user.iam_user.user.tags | length == 0
 
+  - name: "Remove All Tags (no change)"
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user }}"
+      state: present
+      tags: {}
+    register: iam_user
+
+  - assert:
+      that:
+        - iam_user is not changed
+        - iam_user.iam_user.user.user_name == test_user
+        - iam_user.iam_user.user.tags | length == 0
+
+  # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   ## Test user password update
+  - name: test update IAM password with on_create only (check mode)
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user3 }}"
+      password: "{{ test_new_password }}"
+      update_password: "on_create"
+      state: present
+    register: iam_user_update
+    check_mode: yes
+
+  - assert:
+      that:
+        - iam_user_update is not changed
+
   - name: test update IAM password with on_create only
     iam_user:
       name: "{{ test_user3 }}"
@@ -277,6 +357,18 @@
       that:
         - iam_user_update is not changed
 
+  - name: update IAM password (check mode)
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user3 }}"
+      password: "{{ test_new_password }}"
+      state: present
+    register: iam_user_update
+    check_mode: yes
+
+  - assert:
+      that:
+        - iam_user_update is changed
+
   # flakey, there is no waiter for login profiles
   # Login Profile for User ansible-user-c cannot be modified while login profile is being created.
   - name: update IAM password
@@ -302,13 +394,13 @@
   # - ServiceQuotasReadOnlyAccess
   #
   - name: attach managed policy to user (check mode)
-    check_mode: yes
     iam_user:
       name: "{{ test_user }}"
       state: present
       managed_policy:
         - arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/AWSDenyAll
     register: iam_user
+    check_mode: yes
 
   - name: assert that the user is changed
     assert:
@@ -328,6 +420,20 @@
       that:
         - iam_user is changed
 
+  - name: ensure managed policy is attached to user (no change - check mode)
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user }}"
+      state: present
+      managed_policy:
+        - arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/AWSDenyAll
+    register: iam_user
+    check_mode: yes
+
+  - name: assert that the user hasn't changed
+    assert:
+      that:
+        - iam_user is not changed
+
   - name: ensure managed policy is attached to user (no change)
     iam_user:
       name: "{{ test_user }}"
@@ -341,6 +447,8 @@
       that:
         - iam_user is not changed
 
+  # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
   - name: attach different managed policy to user (check mode)
     check_mode: yes
     iam_user:
@@ -370,6 +478,21 @@
       that:
         - iam_user is changed
 
+  - name: attach different managed policy to user (no change - check mode)
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user }}"
+      state: present
+      managed_policy:
+        - arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/ServiceQuotasReadOnlyAccess
+      purge_policy: no
+    register: iam_user
+    check_mode: yes
+
+  - name: assert that the user hasn't changed
+    assert:
+      that:
+        - iam_user is not changed
+
   - name: Check first policy wasn't purged
     iam_user:
       name: "{{ test_user }}"
@@ -415,6 +538,8 @@
       that:
         - iam_user is not changed
 
+  # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
   - name: Remove one of the managed policies - with purge (check mode)
     check_mode: yes
     iam_user:
@@ -444,7 +569,7 @@
       that:
         - iam_user is changed
 
-  - name: Check we only have the one policy attached
+  - name: Remove one of the managed policies - with purge (no change - check mode)
     iam_user:
       name: "{{ test_user }}"
       state: present
@@ -452,12 +577,29 @@
         - arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/ServiceQuotasReadOnlyAccess
       purge_policy: yes
     register: iam_user
+    check_mode: yes
 
-  - name: assert that the user changed
+  - name: assert that the user hasn't changed
+    assert:
+      that:
+        - iam_user is not changed
+
+  - name: Remove one of the managed policies - with purge (no change)
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user }}"
+      state: present
+      managed_policy:
+        - arn:aws:iam::aws:policy/ServiceQuotasReadOnlyAccess
+      purge_policy: yes
+    register: iam_user
+
+  - name: assert that the user hasn't changed
     assert:
       that:
         - iam_user is not changed
 
+  # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
   - name: ensure group exists
     iam_group:
       name: "{{ test_group }}"
@@ -599,6 +741,26 @@
       that:
         - not iam_group.changed
 
+  # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+  - name: Remove user with attached policy (check mode)
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user }}"
+      state: absent
+    register: iam_user
+    check_mode: yes
+
+  - name: get info on IAM user(s) after deleting in check mode
+    iam_user_info:
+      name: "{{ test_user }}"
+    register: iam_user_info
+
+  - name: Assert user was not removed in check mode
+    assert:
+      that:
+        - iam_user.changed
+        - iam_user_info.iam_users | length == 1
+
   - name: Remove user with attached policy
     iam_user:
       name: "{{ test_user }}"
@@ -607,29 +769,52 @@
 
   - name: get info on IAM user(s) after deleting
     iam_user_info:
-      group: "{{ test_user }}"
-    ignore_errors: yes
+      name: "{{ test_user }}"
     register: iam_user_info
 
   - name: Assert user was removed
     assert:
       that:
         - iam_user.changed
-        - "'cannot be found' in iam_user_info.msg"
+        - iam_user_info.iam_users | length == 0
+
+  - name: Remove user with attached policy (idempotent - check mode)
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user }}"
+      state: absent
+    register: iam_user
+    check_mode: yes
+
+  - name: Assert no change
+    assert:
+      that:
+        - not iam_user.changed
 
   - name: Remove user with attached policy (idempotent)
     iam_user:
       name: "{{ test_user }}"
       state: absent
-    ignore_errors: yes
     register: iam_user
 
-  - name: Assert user was removed
+  - name: Assert no change
     assert:
       that:
         - not iam_user.changed
 
+  # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   ## Test user password removal
+  - name: Delete IAM password (check mode)
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user3 }}"
+      remove_password: yes
+      state: present
+    register: iam_user_password_removal
+    check_mode: yes
+
+  - assert:
+      that:
+        - iam_user_password_removal is changed
+
   - name: Delete IAM password
     iam_user:
       name: "{{ test_user3 }}"
@@ -641,6 +826,29 @@
       that:
         - iam_user_password_removal is changed
 
+  - name: Delete IAM password again (check mode)
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user3 }}"
+      remove_password: yes
+      state: present
+    register: iam_user_password_removal
+    check_mode: yes
+
+  - assert:
+      that:
+        - iam_user_password_removal is not changed
+
+  - name: Delete IAM password again
+    iam_user:
+      name: "{{ test_user3 }}"
+      remove_password: yes
+      state: present
+    register: iam_user_password_removal
+
+  - assert:
+      that:
+        - iam_user_password_removal is not changed
+
   always:
     - name: remove group
       iam_group:
diff --git a/tests/sanity/ignore-2.9.txt b/tests/sanity/ignore-2.9.txt
index c9c875d60e5..d0253b5fc3f 100644
--- a/tests/sanity/ignore-2.9.txt
+++ b/tests/sanity/ignore-2.9.txt
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ plugins/modules/ec2_metric_alarm.py pylint:ansible-deprecated-no-version
 plugins/modules/elb_network_lb.py pylint:ansible-deprecated-no-version
 plugins/modules/iam_policy.py pylint:ansible-deprecated-no-version
 plugins/modules/iam_role.py pylint:ansible-deprecated-no-version
+plugins/modules/iam_user.py pylint:ansible-deprecated-no-version