Are you one of the 9 million owed money from IRS? How to find out before it’s too late

Moira Ritter
Susan Walsh/AP

If you haven’t filed your 2021 taxes, you might be owed thousands from the IRS.

More than 9 million eligible individuals and families have yet to receive various tax credits, stimulus payments and other benefits, according to an Oct. 13 IRS news release. The only way to receive benefits, most of which were expanded under the 2021 American Rescue Plan, is filing a 2021 tax return.

Some individuals and families usually don’t need to file a tax return because they have little or no income, the IRS says. However, non-filers should do so this year to ensure they receive their benefits.

Which IRS benefits are available?

The 2021 American Rescue Plan expanded many tax benefits for people in the United States. Millions are still eligible for the following payments:

  • Child Tax Credit: Families qualify to claim this credit, which can be as much as $3,600 per child. Families who received monthly advance payments during the last half of 2021 can still claim their credits, the IRS says.

  • Earned Income Tax Credit: Some workers, both with and without children, are eligible for a more generous EITC, the IRS says. Childless workers can receive a credit up to $1,502. Low- to moderate-income families can claim $3,618 with one child, $5,980 with two children and $6,728 for at least three children.

  • The Recovery Rebate Credit: Some taxpayers did not receive 2021’s third round of Economic Impact Payments, also known as stimulus payments. The RRC credit can help those whose third check was less than the full amount, which includes families who had a child in 2021, according to the IRS. The maximum RRC is $1,400 for each qualifying adult and $1,400 for each eligible child or adult dependent.

Filers may also qualify for two more benefits when they file their 2021 tax return:

  • Increased Child and Dependent Care Credit: Families who pay for daycare so they can remain employed or seek work can qualify for a credit worth up to $4,000 for one qualifying person and $8,000 for two or more qualifying persons, the IRS says.

  • Charity deductions: Tax filers can often deduct eligible cash deductions they made during 2021, including gifts to charity. For married couples filing jointly, deductions can be up to $600 in cash donations. Individuals can deduct up to $300 in donations.

How to claim your IRS payments

The IRS says it is taking several steps to encourage eligible individuals and families to file their 2021 taxes.

First, the IRS is mailing letters to individuals who don’t usually have a tax-filing requirement and appear to qualify for the Child Tax Credit, Recovery Rebate Credit or Earned Income Tax Credit. Letters will be sent based on Forms W-2, 1099s and other statements available to the IRS. They will arrive over the next few weeks, the IRS says.

Those who still need to file their 2021 taxes can do so before they receive their letter, too.

When is the deadline to file?

The deadline to file 2021 taxes without penalty has been extended to Nov. 17, the IRS announced.

Taxpayers whose incomes are $73,000 or less can use Free File to file for free. The site can be accessed here.

Individuals whose incomes are less than $12,500 and couples whose incomes are less than $25,000 are encouraged to use ChildTaxCredit.gov/file to file their taxes. The site works for filers with or without children.

Some states have further extended deadlines due to recent natural disasters.

Those with an IRS address of record in an area covered by Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster declarations in Missouri, Kentucky, the island of St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands and members of the Tribal Nation of the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community have until Nov. 15, 2022, to file various individual and business tax returns, according to the IRS.

Taxpayers in Florida, Puerto Rico, North Carolina, South Carolina, parts of Alaska and Hinds County, Mississippi, have until Feb. 15, 2023.

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