The irs unclaimed tax refunds 2022 tally includes more than 1.3 million taxpayers who have not filed a Form 1040, and the agency estimates about $1.2 billion remains unclaimed, as reported by the IRS.
The IRS said the median potential refund is $686, meaning half of these refunds exceed that amount, and the agency provided a state breakdown showing California, Texas and Florida among the largest totals, as reported by the IRS.
The agency reminded taxpayers that, by law, refunds usually must be claimed within three years or the funds become property of the US Treasury, and the IRS warned that unfiled returns can cost taxpayers more than withheld taxes.
Low and moderate income workers risk losing the Earned Income Tax Credit for 2022, which the IRS said was worth up to $6,935 for taxpayers with qualifying children, and the agency listed the income thresholds for claiming the credit for different family sizes.
How To Claim Refunds And Other Program Updates
The IRS outlined options to gather missing wage and income information, encouraging taxpayers to request copies of Forms W-2, 1098, 1099 or 5498 from payers or to use Get Transcript Online, according to the agency.
The agency also noted that taxpayers may file Form 4506-T to request a wage and income transcript, but it warned that written transcript requests can take several weeks and urged taxpayers to try other options first.
The IRS cautioned that any 2022 refund may be held if taxpayers have not filed returns for later years, and the agency said refunds will be applied to outstanding federal or state debts including unpaid child support and other federal obligations.
The Department of the Treasury highlighted broader filing-season changes tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and the Treasury said Schedule 1-A and an updated Tax Withholding Estimator reflect new deductions and credits along with counts of returns claiming those benefits.
The Treasury reported more than 15.5 million returns claimed no tax on overtime, over 9.2 million claimed an Enhanced Deduction for Seniors, and over 3.5 million claimed no tax on tips, and it also said nearly 3.5 million Trump Accounts have been opened under a pilot program with a $1,000 initial contribution for eligible children, as reported by the Treasury.
