Millions of Americans have until July 10 to claim refunds from the IRS
A federal court ruling enabled some taxpayers to seek refunds tied to COVID-era filing deadlines. But that window expires July 10 — here's what to know.
Millions of Americans may be due a refund from the IRS but face a July 10 deadline to claim the money, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate, a division of the agency that oversees taxpayer rights.
The deadline stems from a federal judge's November ruling that the IRS should have suspended tax filing and payment deadlines during the COVID-19 disaster declaration, which lasted from Jan. 20, 2020, through May 11, 2023. Under IRS rules, taxpayers then received an additional 60 days after a disaster declaration ended to file returns or make payments, pushing that deadline to July 10, 2023.
Taxpayers generally have three years after filing a return — or two years after paying a tax, penalty or interest bill — to claim a refund. Because the court ruled that the filing deadline should have been extended to July 10, 2023, affected taxpayers now have until July 10, 2026, to request a refund or file a protective claim, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins said in a blog post .
"However, this relief will not happen automatically. To protect their rights, most taxpayers must file a claim for refund – generally on or before July 10, 2026," Collins noted.
Who should check whether they're eligible?
Taxpayers may be eligible for a refund if they fall into the following situations, according to Collins: