Helping Ex Recover Missing Refunds (2021/2022) and Stimulus Payments - Need Guidance

For the 2021 and 2022 tax refunds, he'll need to determine if they were actually filed. If not, he has until April 15, 2025 to file for the 2021 refund (3-year statute of limitations from the original due date of April 18, 2022), and until April 15, 2026 for the 2022 refund. For the Economic Impact Payments (stimulus), if he didn't receive the first two payments from 2021, he would have needed to claim them as the Recovery Rebate Credit on his 2021 return filed in 2022. The third payment from March 2021 would have been claimed on his 2021 return filed in 2022. If he missed claiming these, he may need to file amended returns by the dates I mentioned above.

I helped my sister recover 3 years of unfiled returns and missed stimulus payments last summer. This situation is actually more common than you'd think, especially compared to cases I've seen where people moved frequently or had address changes. First step: get tax transcripts to confirm what's on file with the IRS. If returns show as unfiled, you'll need to file them ASAP. For the stimulus payments, they're technically credits for specific tax years, so they must be claimed on the correct year's return. In my sister's case, we had to file original returns for two years and an amended return for another to claim everything properly.

The IRS phone system is an absolute nightmare for these complex multi-year issues. I spent 4 hours on hold last month trying to resolve a similar back-tax situation only to be disconnected. You need to speak with an actual Account Management representative who can access all the Taxpayer Account Information systems, not just the general helpline. I finally used Claimyr (https://www.claimyr.com) and got through to an agent in about 20 minutes who could actually see all years in question. The representative confirmed exactly which returns were processed and which Economic Impact Credit eligibility periods were still claimable. Saved me weeks of guesswork and potentially filing unnecessary amendments.

How much are these refunds worth? Is it enough to justify the effort? Some tax years have filing thresholds. He might not qualify for refunds. Different rules apply for each stimulus payment. Not all were automatic.

I was in a similar boat helping my parent recover old refunds last year. Once we finally got his transcript, we were completely confused by all the codes and dates. I remember staring at transaction codes like 570, 971, and 846 with no idea what they meant! My accountant friend suggested using https://taxr.ai to analyze the transcript. It explained every single code and showed exactly which tax years had been processed and which stimulus payments had been issued. In my dad's case, it showed one of the stimulus payments had actually been sent but to an old address - which meant we needed to request a payment trace instead of claiming it on a return.

I just went through this exact process for myself (turns out adulting is hard, who knew? 😅). The most important step is getting access to his IRS online account. You'll need to create an ID.me account first, which requires a photo ID and video selfie verification. Once that's set up, you can access all tax records including wage and income transcripts, account transcripts, and return transcripts. The account transcript will show specific transaction codes - code 846 with dates will show if/when refunds or stimulus payments were issued. If you see code 290 with $0 amount but no 846 for a given year, it typically means the return was processed but no refund was issued.

Does your ex have any special tax situations like self-employment, overseas income, or military-specific credits? This affects recovery steps. Follow this process: 1. Request Account Transcripts for both years 2. Check if returns were filed and processed 3. Verify if refunds were issued (Code 846) 4. For stimulus payments, check for codes 766 or 768 5. If returns weren't filed, prepare and submit them 6. If returns were filed but refunds not issued, contact IRS 7. For missing stimulus payments, file for Recovery Rebate Credit on correct year return

I know how stressful this can be! 😓 The good news is that the IRS has actually improved their systems for handling these older claims. First, make sure you're using Form 4506-T to request the transcripts if you can't access them online. This will show exactly what's on file with the IRS. For the economic impact payments specifically, the IRS created a special lookup tool, but it's been discontinued. However, the transcripts will show if these payments were issued. If they were issued but never received, you'll need to request a payment trace using Form 3911. Don't worry too much about the complexity - take it one step at a time and you'll get this resolved for him!

According to Internal Revenue Code §6511, you must act quickly on the 2021 tax year! Per IRS Publication 556, the deadline for claiming a refund is the later of 3 years from filing or 2 years from paying any tax. If he needs to file an original return for 2021, the absolute deadline is April 15, 2025. For the Economic Impact Payments, Notice 2021-36 specified they must be claimed as Recovery Rebate Credits on the appropriate tax year return. I'd recommend scheduling an appointment at a local Taxpayer Assistance Center rather than trying to handle this by phone. You can schedule at 844-545-5640, but call exactly at 7am Eastern when their system opens for appointments.