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The clock is ticking for more than 1.3 million American taxpayers who have unclaimed refunds for tax year 2022. If you are one of those taxpayers, you have until April 15 to claim your refund.
Failing to claim a tax refund means you could miss out on nearly $700. Here’s what you need to know.
More than $1 billion unclaimed
Under federal tax laws, taxpayers typically have three years to file and claim their tax refund. ir. Any money that is not claimed after three years becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury.
As of the end of March 2026, approximately $1.2 billion in refunds remained unclaimed for taxpayers who did not file their Form 1040 federal income tax returns for the 2022 tax year. Nationally, the average refund amount for 2022 is $686, not including applicable credits.
Depending on where you live, the refund may be much more or less. Across the states, the average estimate ranges from a low of $627 in Arizona to a high of $786 in Massachusetts.
As the IRS noted, taxpayers who don’t file a return could lose more than their refund of taxes withheld or paid during 2022. Many low- and moderate-income workers may also be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit in 2022, which was up to $6,935 for taxpayers with qualifying children.
how to claim it
The first thing you should do is make sure you have filed tax returns for 2023 and 2024. Otherwise, you may not be eligible for a 2022 refund.
Another thing to keep in mind is that any refund for 2022 will be applied to the amount still owed to the IRS or state tax agency. It can also be used to offset other past due federal debts, such as unpaid child support or student loan debt.
To claim your refund, you can get instructions and tax forms at IRS.gov – including tax year 2022 Forms 1040 and 1040-SR. Forms and Instructions page or by calling toll-free 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).
If you don’t have Forms W-2, 1098, 1099 or 5498 for tax years 2022, 2023 or 2024, you can request copies from your employer, bank or other payees. If those options aren’t available, you can order a free wage and income transcript using IRS.gov Get Transcript Online tool.
For more information visit irs site.