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Last Chance to Claim Your Tax Refund

Written by a TurboTax Expert • Reviewed by a TurboTax CPAUpdated for Tax Year 2024 • October 17, 2024 2:35 PM
OVERVIEW

The law gives taxpayers who fail to file their income taxes three years to submit a return and claim a refund. Generally, the three-year countdown starts on the due date of the return, including extensions.

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?

Over a million Americans fail to file a tax return every year. By not filing, many of these people risk losing any refund they're owed, which averages more than $600, according to Internal Revenue Service estimates.

The law gives procrastinators three years to submit a return and claim a refund. The three-year countdown starts on the original due date of the return or the extension due date, if an extension was filed. Late filers who owe no taxes don't pay any penalty and might even be eligible to get credits beyond the money withheld from their wages.

Is the timeline for claiming a tax refund the same for state and federal taxes?

This article outlines the timeline for claiming a refund from the IRS. 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?

One of the hills you have to climb to claim your refund is gathering the necessary documents. If you kept your financial records, you have an easy ascent. If not, then you must build time into your filing schedule to obtain a copy of your W-2 from your employer and any 1099 forms you're missing from your bank and 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 agency's "Forms and Publications" web page or ordered by calling (800) 829-3676. 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.

Are there tax credits you may have missed out on?

Taxpayers who don't use a professional or online tax preparation service may not know what tax credits are available to them unless they read or follow tax-related news. Unclaimed 2021 tax credits represent part of the unclaimed $1 billion in the IRS's coffers. Those with low or moderate incomes may be eligible for the Earned Income Credit even if they didn't have a tax bill.

If your 2021 income fell below these limits, you might be able to claim EIC by filing by April 15, 2025:

  • $21,430 ($27,380 if Married Filing Jointly) and no qualifying children
  • $42,158 ($48,108 if Married Filing Jointly) and one qualifying child
  • $47,915 ($53,865 if Married Filing Jointly) and two qualifying children
  • $51,464 ($57,414 if Married Filing Jointly) and three or more qualifying children

Those needing to claim refunds for the 2021 tax year have other possible tax credits in addition to EITC they may be able to claim including:

What if I didn't file a tax return?

The IRS sets minimum gross income levels below which taxpayers do not have to file a return. For example, for tax year 2024, generally taxpayers under age 65 who file as Single and made less than $14,600, or Head of Household filers who earned less than $21,900, have no obligation to file their 2024 taxes unless special circumstances exist.

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, their low income may qualify them for tax credits only available by filing a tax return. Non-filers also forgo the chance to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, by not filing.

So, just because you may not be required to file a tax return, 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 two subsequent annual 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.

What's the best way to receive your tax refund once you've claimed it?

When you claim your refund, you may want to elect to receive it via direct deposit as this is usually the most secure and quickest way to get your money from the IRS.

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 2022 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. It can be used to pay:

  • past-due student loans
  • child support
  • federal tax debt you owe

The IRS can also hold refund checks when the two subsequent annual returns are missing. That means you should file returns for 2021 and 2022 as soon as possible. For the 2021 tax year, with a filing deadline in April of 2022, the three-year grace period ends April 18, 2025.

What happens if you miss the deadline to claim your refund?

April 15, 2025, is the last day to file your original 2021 tax return to claim a refund.

If you miss the deadline, any excess in the amount of tax you paid every paycheck or sent as quarterly estimated payments in 2021 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.

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.

With TurboTax Live Full Service, a local expert matched to your unique situation will do your taxes for you start to finish. Or, get unlimited help and advice from tax experts while you do your taxes with TurboTax Live Assisted.

And if you want to file your own taxes, TurboTax will guide you step by step so you can feel confident they'll be done right. No matter which way you file, we guarantee 100% accuracy and your maximum refund.

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The above article is intended to provide generalized financial information designed to educate a broad segment of the public; it does not give personalized tax, investment, legal, or other business and professional advice. Before taking any action, you should always seek the assistance of a professional who knows your particular situation for advice on taxes, your investments, the law, or any other business and professional matters that affect you and/or your business.

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Examples of situations included in a simple Form 1040 return (assuming no added tax complexity):

  • W-2 income
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  • IRS standard deduction
  • Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
  • Child Tax Credit (CTC)
  • Student loan interest deduction
  • Taxable qualified retirement plan distributions

Examples of situations not included in a simple Form 1040 return:

  • Itemized deductions claimed on Schedule A, like charitable contributions, medical expenses, mortgage interest and state and local tax deductions
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    If you are approved for a loan, your tax refund after deducting the amount of your loan and agreed-upon fees (if applicable) will be placed in your Credit Karma Money™ Spend (checking) account. Tax refund funds are disbursed by the IRS typically within 21 days of e-file acceptance. If you apply for a loan and are not approved after the IRS accepts your e-filed federal tax return, your tax refund minus any agreed-upon fees (if applicable) will be placed in your Credit Karma Money™ Spend (checking) account.

    If your tax refund amounts are insufficient to pay what you owe on your loan, you will not be required to repay any remaining balance. However, you may be contacted to remind you of the remaining balance and provide payment instructions to you if you choose to repay that balance. If your loan is not paid in full, you will not be eligible to receive a Refund Advance loan in the future.

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  • Refer your Expert (TurboTax Verified Pro): Maximum of $500 in total rewards for 20 referrals. See official terms and conditions for more details.

  • Average Refund Amount: $3,207 is the average refund amount American taxpayers received in the 2024 filing season based upon IRS data as of February 16, 2024 and may not reflect actual refund amount received. Each taxpayer's refund will vary based on their tax situation.

  • More self-employed deductions: based on the median amount of expenses found by TurboTax Premium (formerly Self Employed) customers who synced accounts, imported and categorized transactions compared to manual entry. Individual results may vary.

  • TurboTax Online Business Products: For TurboTax Live Assisted Business and TurboTax Full Service Business, we currently don't support the following tax situations: C-Corps (Form 1120) and entities electing to be treated as a C-Corp, Trust/Estates (Form 1041), Tax Exempt Entities/Non-Profits, returns that require more than 5 state filings, and other issues unrelated to the preparation of a tax return or unrelated to business income/franchise taxes. TurboTax Live Assisted Business is currently available only in AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, KS, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NJ, NV, NY, OH, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WV, and WY.

  • Audit Defense: Audit Defense is a third-party add-on service provided, for an additional fee, by TaxResources, Inc., dba Tax Audit. Audit Defense is included at no added cost with business returns filed with TurboTax Live Business (excluding Sole Proprietor). See Membership Agreements at https://www.intuit.com/legal/terms/ for service terms and conditions.

TURBOTAX DESKTOP GUARANTEES

TurboTax Desktop Individual Returns:

  • 100% Accurate Calculations Guarantee - Individual Returns: If you pay an IRS or state penalty or interest because of a TurboTax calculation error, we'll pay you the penalty and interest. Excludes payment plans. This guarantee is good for the lifetime of your personal, individual tax return, which Intuit defines as seven years from the date you filed it with TurboTax Desktop. Excludes TurboTax Desktop Business returns. Additional terms and limitations apply. See License Agreement for details.

  • Maximum Refund Guarantee / Maximum Tax Savings Guarantee - or Your Money Back - Individual Returns: If you get a larger refund or smaller tax due from another tax preparation method by filing an amended return, we'll refund the applicable TurboTax federal and/or state software license purchase price you paid. This guarantee is good for the lifetime of your personal, individual tax return, which Intuit defines as seven years from the date you filed it with TurboTax Desktop. Excludes TurboTax Desktop Business returns. Additional terms and limitations apply. See License Agreement for details.

  • Audit Support Guarantee - Individual Returns: If you receive an audit letter from the IRS or State Department of Revenue based on your 2024 TurboTax individual tax return, we will provide one-on-one question-and-answer support with a tax professional, if requested through our Audit Support Center, for audited individual returns filed with TurboTax Desktop for the current 2024 tax year and, for individual, non-business returns, for the past two tax years (2022, 2023). Audit support is informational only. We will not represent you before the IRS or state tax authority or provide legal advice. If we are not able to connect you to one of our tax professionals, we will refund the applicable TurboTax federal and/or state license purchase price you paid. This guarantee is good for the lifetime of your personal, individual tax return, which Intuit defines as seven years from the date you filed it with TurboTax Desktop. Excludes TurboTax Desktop Business returns. Additional terms and limitations apply. See License Agreement  for details.

  • Satisfaction Guarantee/ 60-Day Money Back Guarantee: If you're not completely satisfied with TurboTax Desktop software, go to refundrequest.intuit.com within 60 days of purchase and follow the process listed to submit a refund request. You must return this product using your license code or order number and dated receipt. Desktop add-on products and services purchased are non-refundable.

TurboTax Desktop Business Returns:

  • 100% Accurate Calculations Guarantee - Business Returns: If you pay an IRS or state penalty or interest because of a TurboTax calculation error, we'll pay you the penalty and interest. Excludes payment plans. You are responsible for paying any additional tax liability you may owe. Additional terms and limitations apply. See License Agreement  for details.

  • Maximum Tax Savings Guarantee - Business Returns: If you get a smaller tax due (or larger business tax refund) from another tax preparation method using the same data, TurboTax will refund the applicable TurboTax Business Desktop license purchase price you paid. Additional terms and limitations apply. See License Agreement  for details.

  • Satisfaction Guarantee/ 60-Day Money Back Guarantee: If you're not completely satisfied with TurboTax Desktop software, go to refundrequest.intuit.com within 60 days of purchase and follow the process listed to submit a refund request. You must return this product using your license code or order number and dated receipt. Desktop add-on products and services purchased are non-refundable.

TURBOTAX DESKTOP DISCLAIMERS

  • Installation Requirements: Product download, installation and activation requires an Intuit Account and internet connection. Product limited to one account per license code. You must accept the TurboTax License Agreement to use this product. Not for use by paid preparers.

  • TurboTax Desktop Products: Price includes tax preparation and printing of federal tax returns and free federal e-file of up to 5 federal tax returns. Additional fees apply for e-filing state returns. E-file fees may not apply in certain states, check here for details. Savings and price comparison based on anticipated price increase. Software updates and optional online features require internet connection. Desktop add-on products and services purchased are non-refundable.

  • Fastest Refund Possible: Get your tax refund from the IRS as fast as possible by e-filing and choosing to receive your refund by direct deposit. Tax refund time frames will vary. The IRS issues more than 9 out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days.

  • Average Refund Amount: $3,207 is the average refund amount American taxpayers received in the 2024 filing season based upon IRS data as of February 16, 2024 and may not reflect actual refund amount received.

  • TurboTax Technical Support: Customer service and technical support hours and options vary by time of year.

  • Deduct From Your Federal Refund: Individual taxes only. Subject to eligibility requirements. Additional terms apply. A $40 Refund Processing Service fee applies to this payment. method. Prices are subject to change without notice.

  • Data Import: Imports financial data from participating companies; Requires Intuit Account. Quicken and QuickBooks import not available with TurboTax installed on a Mac. Imports from Quicken (2022 and higher) and QuickBooks Desktop (2023 and higher); both Windows only. Quicken import not available for TurboTax Desktop Business. Quicken products provided by Quicken Inc., Quicken import subject to change.

  • Live Tax Advice: Access to tax experts to obtain answers to tax questions and to assist with tax year 2024 return(s) prepared with TurboTax Desktop software. Additional fees apply. Must be purchased and used by October 31, 2025. Excludes TurboTax Desktop Business. See License Agreement for details.

  • Audit Defense: Audit Defense is a third-party add-on service provided, for a fee, by TaxResources, Inc., dba Tax Audit. See Membership Agreements at https://turbotax.intuit.com/corp/softwarelicense/ for service terms and conditions.

All features, services, support, prices, offers, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice.

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