KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Starting this week, the Internal Revenue Service is sending letters to more than 9 million people who qualified for various key tax benefits but did not claim them by filing a 2021 federal income tax return.
People who receive a letter may be eligible to claim some or all of the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit, Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax credits, depending on their personal and family situation.
The letters, which will arrive over the next few weeks, provide a brief overview of each of those credits.
“The IRS wants to remind potentially eligible people, especially families, that they may qualify for these valuable tax credits,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a press release. “We encourage people who haven’t filed a tax return yet for 2021 to review these options. Even if they aren’t required to file a tax return, they may still qualify for several important credits. We don’t want people to overlook these tax credits, and the letters will remind people of their potential eligibility and steps they can take.”
To help people claim these benefits, Free File, a public-private partnership between the IRS and many tax preparation and filing software industry companies, will remain open until Nov. 17. The program enables people whose incomes are $73,000 or less to file a return online for free using brand-name software.
People can also visit the Child Tax Credit website to file a 2021 income tax return.
Individuals whose incomes are below $12,500 and couples whose incomes are below $25,000 may be able to file a simple tax return to claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit and the Child Tax Credit. Individuals do not need to have children to file.
People can also file a tax return even if they haven’t yet received their letter. There is no penalty for a refund claimed on a tax return filed after the regular April 2022 tax deadline.
The fastest and easiest way to get a refund is to file an accurate return electronically and choose direct deposit, according to the IRS.
Visit here for answers to tax questions or links to forms, instructions and tools.
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