Last Chance to Claim Your Tax Refund
Did you forget to file your taxes and think you qualify for a refund? You have up to three years to submit overdue tax returns and claim a refund. If you're behind on taxes, read this guide to discover which documents you need to file, how to complete them, and the last day to file taxes for a refund.
The One Big Beautiful Bill that passed includes permanently extending tax cuts from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including increasing the cap on the amount of state and local or sales tax and property tax (SALT) that you can deduct, makes cuts to energy credits passed under the Inflation Reduction Act, makes changes to taxes on tips and overtime for certain workers, reforms Medicaid, increases the Debt ceiling, and reforms Pell Grants and student loans. Updates to this article are in process. Check our One Big Beautiful Bill article for more information.
Key Takeaways
- You've typically got three years to file a return and claim a refund, starting from the original due date or the extension due date if you filed an extension.
- The timeline for claiming a tax refund might differ between federal and state taxes, so it's important to check with your state tax department for specific deadlines.
- To claim a refund, gather necessary documents like W-2s and 1099 forms, which might take extra time if they're not readily available.
- If you miss the deadline to claim a refund, the excess tax you paid goes to the U.S. Treasury, and you lose the chance to apply refund dollars to another tax year.
How long do you have to claim your tax refund?
While there's no penalty for failing to file a federal income tax return if a refund is due, the law generally gives procrastinators three years to submit a return to claim a refund. The three-year countdown typically starts on the original due date of the return.
If you’d like to file a tax return for a previous year, TurboTax can help. Just check out our Past Year’s Products page and download the software for the tax year you need.
What happens to your money if you miss the deadline to claim your tax refund?
If you miss the deadline for claiming a tax refund, any excess tax you paid goes to the U.S. Treasury instead of to you. You also lose the opportunity to apply any refund dollars to another tax year in which you owe income tax.
Is the timeline for claiming a tax refund the same for state and federal taxes?
States don’t necessarily follow the same timeline as the IRS for claiming a tax refund. If you have an unclaimed state tax refund, you’ll want to contact your state government’s tax department for the time limits for claiming your state refund.
What do you need to claim your refund?
To claim your refund, you'll need to gather the necessary documents to file your return for the previous tax year, like a copy of your W-2 from your employer and any 1099 forms from your bank or other payers.
The IRS can help if your document search fails. You can ask the agency for a transcript of these information returns by filing Form 4506T, "Request for Transcript of Tax Return," and checking off Box 8. Allow 10 business days for a response. The IRS also accepts transcript requests online and by phone.
The 1040 series of tax forms can be downloaded from the "Prior Year Returns" link on the tax agency's "Forms, Instructions, and Publications" web page or ordered by calling 800-829-3676 (800-TAX-FORM). You have the option of e-filing or mailing a paper return. Regardless of the filing method you choose, be sure you sign, as the IRS does not issue refunds to late filers without their signature.
What if I wasn’t required to file a tax return?
Even if you weren’t required to file a tax return for a previous year, you still might want to file a return for the year to get a tax refund.
The IRS sets minimum gross income levels below which taxpayers do not have to file a return. For example, for the 2025 tax year, taxpayers under age 65 generally have no obligation to file a federal income tax return if they’re either a:
- Single filer with less than $15,750 of gross income
- Head-of-household filer with less than $23,625 of gross income
- Joint filer with less than $31,500 of gross income (both spouses under 65)
However, these non-filers may have overlooked the fact that their employer withheld income tax throughout the year, which is money the IRS owes them. Additionally, they may qualify for tax credits only available by filing a tax return. For instance, they might forgo the chance to receive the Earned Income Credit, or EIC, by not filing.
So, just because you may not be required to file a tax return, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. You could be missing the opportunity to get a tax refund.
TurboTax Tip:
The IRS can withhold your refund check if earlier tax returns are missing, so it's important to file returns for previous years.
How long does it take to get a tax refund once you've claimed it?
Once a tax refund is processed, it typically takes about 21 days to issue the refund. The timeline to receive your return may vary depending on whether the IRS is backed up or if they need further documentation from you. There are also a variety of other reasons why your refund might be delayed.
When claiming your refund, you may want to double-check that the address they have for you is correct – especially if you’ve moved in recent years – for any time-sensitive correspondence they might send or if they’re mailing your tax refund.
Additionally, it’s worthwhile to confirm your bank account number if you’re receiving a direct deposit.
How will you receive your tax refund once you've claimed it?
As of September 2025, the IRS generally delivers all tax refunds via direct deposit. Paper refunds are only issued in rare cases.
You can have your refund deposited into a checking, savings, health savings, brokerage, or other similar account (including an IRA) at a bank or other financial institution in the U.S. You can even split your refund into more than one account (use Form 8888 to have your refund deposited into multiple accounts).
How can you check the status of your tax refund?
You can use the IRS Where’s My Refund? tool or call the IRS at 800-829-1954 to check the status of a refund if you previously filed a return as far back as the 2023 tax year.
To use the tool, you’ll need to know the tax year of the return, your Social Security number, filing status, and the refund amount. If you don’t know your refund amount, it may be best to speak with an agent over the phone.
Can the IRS withhold your refund check?
Under certain conditions, the IRS will withhold your refund check. For instance, it can be used to pay:
- past-due student loans
- child or spousal support
- federal tax debt you owe
The IRS can also hold refund checks when prior-year tax returns are missing. That means you should file returns for earlier years as soon as possible.
How to check if you have an unclaimed refund from a previous year?
If you haven’t filed a return for a previous tax year, the only way to see if you’re due a refund is to complete a return for the year. If you owe tax or the IRS owes you money back, then file the return. If you weren’t required to file a return and aren’t getting a refund, you don’t have to file.
Did you know you could still claim tax credits from 2022?
If you didn’t use a professional or online tax preparation service when you filed your 2022 taxes, you may not know what tax credits may have been available to you that year. Unclaimed 2022 tax credits represent part of the unclaimed refunds in the IRS's coffers. Plus, if you qualify for a refundable tax credit, you may be able to get a tax refund even if you’re not required to file a tax return.
For example, people with low or moderate incomes may be eligible for the Earned Income Credit (EIC) even if they didn't have a tax bill. If your 2022 adjusted gross income fell below the following limits, you might be able to claim EIC by filing a return for the 2022 tax year by April 15, 2026:
- $16,480 ($22,610 if Married Filing Jointly) and no qualifying children
- $43,492 ($49,622 if Married Filing Jointly) and one qualifying child
- $49,399 ($55,529 if Married Filing Jointly) and two qualifying children
- $53,057 ($59,187 if Married Filing Jointly) and three or more qualifying children
Those needing to claim refunds for the 2022 tax year have other possible tax credits in addition to the EIC they may be able to claim, including the:
Is the time limit for the IRS to collect taxes the same as the limit to claim your refund?
No, the time limit for IRS collections is different from the time limit to file a return to claim a refund. You generally have three years to file a return to claim a tax refund. However, the IRS generally has 10 years from the date your tax is assessed to collect any taxes you owe (this time limit can be suspended or extended under certain circumstances).
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