Swoop In Solutions, LLC

Unfiled 2022 Federal Tax Refunds Must Be Claimed by April 15 – Did You Know?

The IRS estimates that over one million people are owed tax refunds from 2022, with the majority of those refunds exceeding $600. However, in order to claim their refunds, people must file their 2022 tax returns by April 15, 2026. Some people may also need to file 2023 and 2024 returns in order to receive an IRS refund.

Those who qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in 2022 but did not file a return could be missing out on much larger refunds, potentially exceeding $6,000. The adjusted gross income limits for the 2022 EITC ranged from $16,480 to $53,057 (or $22,610 to $59,187 for joint filers), depending on a person's number of qualifying children.

Filing an accurate tax return for 2022 may require referring to income statements like W-2 and 1099 forms. If you cannot locate those forms but have an IRS online account, you can generally obtain the needed information by using the free IRS Get Income Transcript tool (link below). Most people can set up an account in about 20 minutes, less time than it takes to request and receive replacement documents from employers, banks, etc.

IRS Get Transcript Online tool: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

Refund Amounts - Did You Know?

If your refund amount is different than stated on the filed tax return, part or all of your refund may have been used to pay off (offset) past-due federal tax, student loans, state income tax or other past-due debts.

You'll receive a notice from the IRS if such an offset occurs that will show the original tax refund amount, the offset amount, as well as the name, address and telephone number of the agency receiving the payment.

If you haven't received your refund yet, you may be able to check the status using the IRS' "Where's my Refund?" tool: https://www.irs.gov/refunds.

2026 Tax-Related Scam Warnings – Did You Know? (2/2)

The IRS recently posted its official list of the worst tax-related scams to watch out for in 2026. They include:

Scams Involving Bogus Tax Credits or Exaggerated Withholding:

Scammers often make false claims about tax rules in order to persuade people to file inaccurate returns. One of these schemes relates to a supposed "self-employment tax credit." No such credit exists, and very few people qualify for the actual credit that the scam involves. Other scammers encourage people to inflate tax withholding figures to get larger refunds. In reality, improperly claiming credits or reporting inaccurate tax figures may trigger severe IRS penalties.

Ghost Preparers:

By law, anyone paid to prepare a tax return for another person must sign the return, and must have an IRS-issued Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). Remember, regardless of who prepares it, you are ultimately responsible for the accuracy of your return. Do not take the risk of putting your standing with the IRS in the hands of someone who hides in the shadows.

Offer-in-Compromise (OIC) Mills:

The IRS offer-in-compromise (OIC) program enables some people with large tax debts to settle those debts for less than the full amount owed. However, submitting an OIC application is a very complicated process, and the majority of applications get rejected. OIC mills overpromise results to lure in vulnerable people, and then charge nonrefundable fees to submit applications with virtually no chance of success. If you owe more tax than you can afford to pay, work only with a trusted tax professional who has experience preparing realistic OIC proposals.

2026 Tax-Related Scam Warnings – Did You Know? (1/2)

The IRS recently posted its official list of the worst tax-related scams to watch out for in 2026. They include:

IRS Impersonation and Online Account Identity Theft:

Scammers claiming to represent the IRS often contact people by phone, email or other messaging apps. They may demand immediate payment of supposed tax debts, threaten imminent arrest, or give instructions to scan QR codes or click links leading to impostor websites that harvest personal data. Other identity thieves steal sensitive data by pretending to help people set up online IRS accounts. The use of AI has made some of these calls and messages more convincing, but the IRS simply does not operate in these ways.

Social Media Misinformation on Tax Matters:

Videos and posts promoting "tax hacks" abound across social media platforms. These supposed money-saving strategies often involve reporting inaccurate information to the IRS, at the risk of facing harsh tax penalties or even criminal charges. Stay safe by seeking tax advice only from reputable sources, like a trusted tax professional.

Fake Charities:

Fraudsters create fake charities to steal people's money, identities or both. With the recent creation of a new non-itemized deduction for charitable donations starting in 2026, these scams have become more common. Before donating to any organization, request detailed information about its mission, location and tax-exempt status. If you have any doubts, search the IRS database of registered charities (link below) to verify that the organization is legitimate. Search carefully, since many fake charities use names very similar to those of legitimate organizations.

IRS Tax-Exempt Organization Search: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/search-for-tax-exempt-organizations