Deadline to claim COVID-era tax refund is Friday: Do you qualify?

(NEXSTAR) – Years after the end of the COVID-19 health emergency, a pandemic-era tax refund may still be up for grabs. The deadline to claim it is Friday, July 10, and taxpayers who miss the time limit will become ineligible.

The refund applies to tens of millions of Americans who paid penalties during the pandemic for failing to file taxes with the IRS on time. A federal court ruled in 2025 that taxpayers weren’t required to file taxes on time or make payments during the pandemic because it was an official disaster period, which should have postponed the filing period.

The court case, Kwong v. U.S., covers a huge group of people; 120 million IRS penalties were levied against tens of millions of taxpayers.

However, repayments and penalty refunds aren’t guaranteed. Taxpayers need to claim a refund by July 10.

Who is eligible for the refund?

To qualify, taxpayers generally must meet one of the following criteria:

Overpaid........

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