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IRS Says 1.5 Million Households Are Owed $1.5 Billion In 2019 Refunds

IRS Says 1.5 Million Households Are Owed $1.5 Billion In 2019 Refunds

The IRS has confirmed that 1.5 million American households are owed an astounding $1.5 billion in outstanding 2019 tax refunds. 

In an official press release, the tax agency shared that taxpayers have until July 17, 2023 to submit their tax return from that year. 

"The 2019 tax returns came due during the pandemic, and many people may have overlooked or forgotten about these refunds," explained IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel. "We want taxpayers to claim these refunds, but time is running out. People face a July 17 deadline to file their returns. We recommend taxpayers start soon to make sure they don't miss out."

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Photographer: Zach Gibson/Getty Images

Under federal law, people generally have three years to file tax returns before any refund money becomes the property of the United States Department of the Treasury. However, the three-year window for unfiled returns for 2019 was postponed to this July as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In February 2023, the IRS issued legal guidance for those submitting claims by the postponed deadline.

In addition to their income tax refund, many low- to moderate-income American families could miss out on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) if they don't file their 2019 returns. The maximum amount of this tax refund is $6,557 for households meeting the following criteria:

- Income below $50,162 ($55,952 if married filing jointly) for those with three or more qualifying children;

- Income below $46,703 ($52,493 if married filing jointly) for people with two qualifying children;

- Income below $41,094 ($46,884 if married filing jointly) for those with one qualifying child, and;

- Income Below $15,570 ($21,370 if married filing jointly) for people without qualifying children.

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Photographer: Zach Gibson/Getty Images

Commissioner Werfel said, "We frequently see students, part-time workers and others with little income overlook filing a tax return and never realize they may be owed a refund. We encourage people to review their records and start gathering records now, so they don't run the risk of missing the July deadline."

This tax season, the average American family received a smaller refund than usual, so it is definitely worth double-checking that you filed your 2019 return. A recent report from the IRS indicated that the average tax refund last year was $3,305. This year, taxpayers have gotten back several hundred dollars less at an average of $2,933. 

Do you still need to file your taxes from the pandemic era?

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Rebekah Barton

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