With tax season 2025 currently in full swing, many people may be expecting a tax refund. Tax refunds from the IRS occur when you pay the government more money than what you owe. This is usually more common with people who freelance and must report their income themselves instead of through an employer. Typically speaking, refunds are processed within 10 days of filing your income taxes. However, certain groups of people may not be receiving a tax refund this year.
These people may not receive tax refunds in 2025
The Treasury Offset Program is in charge of collecting past debts still owed to federal and state entities. The student federal debt alone amounts to $1.7 trillion. In 2024, the Treasury Offset Program recovered $3.8 billion in delinquent debt. According to the IRS:
“If your refund exceeds your total balance due on all outstanding tax liabilities including accruals, you’ll receive a refund of the excess unless you owe certain other past-due amounts, such as state income tax, child support, a student loan, or other federal nontax obligations which are offset against any refund.”
According to the IRS, these groups of people may not receive their tax refunds:
- You owe money on state income tax
- You owe money in student loans
- You owe child support
The deadline to file your income tax is April 15
This year, the deadline to file your income taxes is April 15, unless you apply specifically for an extension. Refunds are currently underway, and if you do not owe any outstanding debt, you can expect to receive a refund within 10 days. However, if you can claim for the Child Tax Credit (CTC) or the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), your refund may take longer to process as they require more documentation and verification.
You can also check to see if you actually qualify for a tax refund within 24 hours of filing your taxes. The Internal Revenue Service provides a “Where’s my Refund” tool that tracks your refund for you in order for you to check how fast your refund is being processed. However, this is only the case if you file your taxes online. If you still file your taxes through the mail, it can take up to four weeks to use the tool to see what your refund status is.
What should you do if the IRS contacts you?
It is very important this tax season that if the IRS contacts you, you open the letter or notice they sent. The notice may contain information regarding your tax refunds, and ignoring or neglecting them may cause you to miss out on some refunds. Many people panic when they receive a letter from the IRS, especially if it comes during tax season. However, if the IRS contacts you, they will provide a breakdown of actionable steps you can take depending on what it is they need from you.
Keeping your notices from the Internal Revenue Service is also important. The IRS recommends that you keep any notice from the IRS in your records for up to three years. The IRS will always contact you in writing, so you can easily file them and keep them organized. Taxpayers should remember that the IRS will never contact you through social media channels, only official channels. Tax season is a prime time for scams to occur, and you must take additional steps to make sure your financial information is secure.
Always remember that the IRS tries to ensure that they are approachable and contactable. If you have any queries regarding your refund status, or why you are being contacted by them, do not hesitate to reach out to them.
