Can I still file my 2022 tax return during the 2025 tax season?

Yes, you can absolutely still file your 2022 tax return during the 2025 tax filing season! The IRS allows you to claim a refund for up to three years from the original tax filing deadline. For 2022 taxes, the original deadline was April 18, 2023, which means you have until April 18, 2026 to file and claim any refund you're owed. There's no penalty for filing late when you're owed a refund, so you're actually in good shape. However, don't wait too long - if you file after the three-year window closes, you forfeit your refund entirely. The IRS doesn't send refunds for returns filed after that deadline. For your 2022 return, you'll need to use the 2022 tax forms (don't use current year forms). You can download them from the IRS website or use tax software that allows you to prepare prior year returns.

I was in exactly the same situation last year with my 2021 taxes! After I spent hours trying to figure out the old forms and getting nowhere, I found this tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that actually specializes in past-year returns. Uploaded my W-2s and other docs from 2021, and their AI analyzed everything and guided me through the whole process. The best part was that they could tell me exactly which deductions I qualified for back then - turns out I was eligible for some education credits I didn't even know about! Would've completely missed that money if I tried doing it myself. Their system worked with the 2021 tax rules rather than current ones, which apparently is super important.

Just wanted to update after using taxr.ai for my back taxes - literally just finished filing my 2022 return! The process was WAY smoother than I expected. I was worried about my self-employment stuff since I had done some freelancing that year alongside my main job. Their system walked me through everything step by step and found a bunch of business deductions I had completely forgotten about. Ended up with a $1,740 refund when I was originally thinking I'd be getting maybe $500! The best part was how they handled the specific 2022 tax rules - there were some credits that have changed since then, and they made sure I got everything I was entitled to under those rules. For anyone else who's behind on filing, don't wait until you hit that 3-year deadline. Wish I'd done this months ago instead of stressing about it.

If you need to talk to the IRS about your late 2022 return (which I highly recommend), good luck getting through on the phone. I spent WEEKS trying to talk to someone about my late-filed returns. Every time I called, it was "due to extremely high call volume..." then disconnect. So frustrating! Finally found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual IRS agent in under 45 minutes. They have this system that navigates all the phone menus and holds your place in line, then calls you when an agent is about to pick up. You can see how it works in their demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I talked to was actually super helpful and walked me through exactly what I needed to do for my late return, plus got me on a payment plan for the penalties I owed (which they reduced!). Saved me so much stress!

Ok I have to eat my words. After seeing all the comments here I got desperate enough to try Claimyr yesterday for my own late filing situation. I was SUPER skeptical (still kinda am about everything tax related tbh). But... it actually worked? Got a call back in about 35 minutes and was connected to a real IRS agent who answered all my questions about my late 2022 return. They confirmed I can still file and explained exactly which forms I needed and where to send them. The agent even looked up my account and told me my estimated refund amount based on what my employers had reported! Saved me from having to guess or do calculations with outdated software. And I didn't have to sit on hold for 3 hours listening to the same stupid messages and music. Still shocked this worked.

Don't forget that you need to use the actual 2022 tax forms! I made this mistake when filing my late 2021 return - I downloaded current year forms first and spent hours filling them out before realizing my mistake. You can find prior year forms on the IRS website here: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/prior-year Or most tax software can still handle 2022 returns (TurboTax, H&R Block, etc all keep prior year versions available). Also remember that some tax credits and deduction limits were different in 2022, so don't assume the current rules apply!

Quick question - I mailed in my 2022 return last month but haven't heard anything back yet. Is there a way to check if the IRS received it? I didn't e-file because I thought you couldn't do that for prior year returns.

Don't beat yourself up about being late - life happens and you're definitely not the first person to miss a filing deadline during a tough time! The good news is you're still well within that 3-year window to claim your refund. One thing I'd add to the great advice already given: make sure you have all your 2022 documents before you start. You'll need your W-2s, any 1099s, receipts for those medical expenses and charitable donations you mentioned, etc. If you're missing any tax documents from employers or financial institutions, you can request copies or sometimes find them in your online accounts from that year. Also, since you mentioned medical expenses - remember that for 2022, you could only deduct medical expenses that exceeded 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. It's worth calculating whether itemizing will actually give you a bigger deduction than the standard deduction was for 2022 ($12,950 for single filers). You've got this! Getting your finances back on track is a great step forward.