Time's running out for Americans to claim a possible COVID tax refund
Key takeaways
- July 10 is the drop-dead deadline for tens of millions of Americans to file for a potential COVID-related IRS refund.
- The potential tax refund stems from a federal judge's ruling in Kwong v.
- But here's the catch: Americans can't wait for the outcome of the litigation to file for a refund or abatement.
Time's running out for Americans to claim a possible COVID tax refund Time's running out for Americans to claim a possible COVID tax refund · USA TODAY Medora Lee, USA TODAY Sun, June 28, 2026 at 4:00 AM GMT+7 3 min read File for it, or lose it forever.
July 10 is the drop-dead deadline for tens of millions of Americans to file for a potential COVID-related IRS refund. If taxpayers haven't filed with the IRS by then to protect a potential refund or abatement, they will lose that chance forever.
The potential tax refund stems from a federal judge's ruling in Kwong v. United States late last year suggesting the federal tax filing and payment deadlines were automatically suspended during the federally declared COVID-19 disaster period from January 20, 2020, through May 11, 2023. The government is appealing the ruling, but if the decision stands, millions of Americans who paid or were charged late fees or interest during those 3.5 years may be due a refund since everything was on hold.