The IRS Is Sitting on Your Money—Here’s the Deadline
The IRS recently shared that more than 1.3 million people still haven’t claimed their 2022 tax refunds, totaling about $1.2 billion.
There’s a deadline, though. If you didn’t file your 2022 return, you have until April 15, 2026, to do it. After that, the money doesn’t just wait around—it goes to the U.S. Treasury.
The average refund is around $686, but that number doesn’t tell the full story. Some people could be owed quite a bit more depending on their situation.
There Could Be More Than Just a Refund
For some, this isn’t just about getting a basic refund check.
You might also qualify for credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which was worth up to $6,935 in 2022. That’s real money—especially if you didn’t realize you were eligible at the time.
One thing to keep in mind: if you haven’t filed your 2023 or 2024 returns, the IRS may hold your refund until you’re caught up. And if you owe back taxes or certain debts, they can apply it there first.
How to Check If You’re Owed Money
If you’re not sure whether you filed—or just want to be safe—it’s pretty easy to check:
If you’re missing paperwork like W-2s or 1099s, transcripts can usually help you piece things back together.
Your IRS Unclaimed Refunds
We’ve seen this more times than you’d think—people assume they either filed already or that the refund wouldn’t be much, so they leave it alone.
Then the deadline passes. If there’s even a chance you didn’t file in 2022, it’s worth taking 10–15 minutes to check. Best case, there’s money waiting. Worst case, you confirm everything’s already handled and move on.
Either way, you’ll know—and that’s better than guessing!
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