Can I still get my 2023 tax refund?

Yes, if you file by April 15, 2027. After that date, a 2023 refund is gone for good, even if the IRS owes it to you.

A lot of people skip a year because they think they'd owe. When they finally file, it often turns out they were owed money instead. The IRS said that about 1.3 million people never filed for 2022 and left roughly $1.2 billion unclaimed (IR-2026-37). The 2022 deadline passed on April 15, 2026. 2023 is next.

Why the deadline is April 15, 2027

You generally have three years to claim a refund (Internal Revenue Code §6511). Tax withheld from your paychecks counts as paid on the original due date of the return, April 15, 2024 for 2023 (IRC §6513(b)). Three years from then is April 15, 2027.

If you miss it, you can still file the return, but the IRS keeps the refund.

Who is most likely owed money for 2023

• You had a W-2 job with federal tax withheld and didn't file. The withholding is usually more than the tax on a simple return.
• You earned too little to have to file but tax was still taken out. You only get it back by filing.
• You had a child and low or moderate income. The Earned Income Credit and the refundable part of the Child Tax Credit can only be claimed on a filed return, and the same three-year window applies.
• You had a 1099-R from a retirement plan with tax withheld.

What can hold up or shrink the refund

• Other unfiled years. The IRS may hold your 2023 refund if you also haven't filed for 2024 or 2025. It's best to catch up on every year at the same time.
• Debts. A refund can be applied to past-due federal tax, state tax, child support or certain federal debts before it reaches you.
• Mailing instead of e-filing. The IRS e-file system takes the current year and the two years before it. When the system closes for the year (usually late November or December), 2023 returns can no longer be e-filed and have to be mailed, and paper returns take months longer to process. If you're going to file 2023, filing soon is faster.

What about New York?

New York has its own refund deadline, also generally three years (NY Tax Law §687). If you lived and worked in New York in 2023 and had state tax withheld, the same advice applies: file both returns together.

What you need to file a 2023 return

• Your W-2s, 1099s and any other income forms for 2023. If you've lost them, your IRS wage and income transcript lists what employers and banks reported. You can get it from your IRS online account.
• Your Social Security number and those of anyone you claim.
• Bank account details if you want the refund by direct deposit.

How we handle it

We prepare and e-file prior-year federal and New York returns, fully remote. A prior-year individual return starts at $325 per year, including federal and one state (full list on our pricing page). If you're behind more than one year, we look at every year together so a refund isn't held up by a missing return.

Not sure whether you owe or are owed? Read how much a late tax return costs in New York, or book a free 15-minute call and we'll tell you which years you need and what it will cost.

Frequently asked questions

What is the deadline to claim a 2023 tax refund?

April 15, 2027. You generally have three years from the original due date to claim a refund. After that, the money stays with the IRS.

Is there a penalty for filing a 2023 return late if I'm owed a refund?

Usually not. Late-filing penalties are a percentage of the tax you owe, so if you're owed a refund there's typically nothing to charge.

Can I still e-file a 2023 return?

Only until the IRS e-file system closes for the year, usually in late November or December 2026. After that, a 2023 return has to be mailed, which takes longer to process.

Will the IRS hold my 2023 refund if I haven't filed other years?

It can. If later returns are missing, the IRS may hold the refund until they're filed, so it's best to file every missing year together.

General information, not advice for your specific situation.