Deadline to Claim 2019 Tax Refund Coming Up Soon

If you never filed your 2019 tax return, you still have time to claim any refund you had coming.

April 2020 may seem like a long time ago, or perhaps it feels like it was just yesterday, but the onset of the global pandemic brought about some sudden and often extreme changes in our lives. For many, the deadline to file 2019 taxes got lost in everything else we were coping with at the time. If you are one of those who never filed your 2019 return, but would have been entitled to a refund, the IRS has provided an extension that many people may be unaware of, but that also expires soon.

I am not a tax professional and do not offer tax advice; this post only provides general, publicly available, information. Please be sure to consult with your tax professional regarding your personal tax situation!

Taxpayers Can Still File a Tax Return for 2019 and Claim a Refund

Normally any unclaimed refunds become the property of the US Treasury after three years have passed from the original tax year. However, because of the pandemic the IRS extended that to four years for 2019 tax returns. But the new deadline to file and claim any 2019 refund due is July 17th, 2023, just over two months away. (1).

Do you have a 2019 refund waiting? According to the IRS, almost 1.5 million people have unclaimed refunds for 2019, and the median amount is $893.(2)

Hopefully your life is a bit more stable now, and you can find the time to fill out all those forms, or get your data to your tax professional for them to file.

If the IRS has some of your money, now is the time to claim it!

References

1 - Kiplinger.com, “IRS Says File Soon for $1.5 Billion in Unclaimed Tax Refunds,” https://www.kiplinger.com/taxes/irs-filing-deadline-for-billions-in-unclaimed-tax-refunds, accessed 05/07/23.

2 - IRS.gov, “Time running out to claim $1.5 billion in refunds for tax year 2019, taxpayers face July 17 deadline,” https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/time-running-out-to-claim-1-point-5-billion-in-refunds-for-tax-year-2019-taxpayers-face-july-17-deadline, accessed 05/07/23.