The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said that April 15, 2025, is the last day to claim stimulus checks that you did not receive during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, the federal government sent out millions of dollars in stimulus checks.
That is the last day (non-postponable) for about 1.1 million people in the US to file their tax returns for the 2021 tax year and ask for refunds that were still waiting. The government thinks that more than $1 billion is available to be given away. If it is not claimed, it will go to the US Treasury.
As the IRS recently said, taxpayers have three years from the date of their tax return to file and claim their refunds. The agency also urged taxpayers to claim the money as soon as possible.
Who can get that 2021 tax refund and how to do it: $1 billion to give out
For the process to work, the 2021 tax return must be sent in before the due date. People who don’t do this will lose the money for good. The IRS says to use the most recent forms and check its website to see if any payments are due.
Credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit are among the unclaimed returns. So are the stimulus checks that were given out during the pandemic. People who didn’t file tax returns in 2021 may be qualified, especially those who didn’t have much money or weren’t required to.
The Internal Revenue Code of the United States sets a three-year date for getting tax refunds. After that time, the federal government sends any leftover funds to the Treasury. After that, no one can claim them anymore, and the Federal Reserve can do whatever it wants with the money.
This limit mostly affects residents who didn’t register in 2021 because they didn’t know how or made a mistake. Tax defence groups have stepped up their information efforts to let people who might benefit know about them.
Advice for people who haven’t claimed their 202 tax refunds yet
The IRS says that before you file for 2021, you should get papers like W-2s, 1098s, or 1099s. People who don’t have these records can ask their jobs or schools for them, or they can use the “Get Transcript Online” tool on the agency’s website.
People who send this request after April 15, 2025, will not get refunds, but they should still send in their own tax returns to avoid fines or checks in the future. A lot of the people who are touched by the expiration are low-income people, people who work informally, or people who had to move. According to statistics from the Treasury, about 5% of households that were supposed to get checks did not cash them in 2021.
