Don't Lose Your Refund

The IRS will keep your refund if your return is filed more than three years after its original due date, including any extensions. In other words, if the due date for your 1040-2021 return was April 15, 2022, but you filed for an extension to October 15, 2022, you have until October 2025, to obtain your refund (three years from your due date). Also, refunds for a return filed more than three years after its original due date, plus extensions, would not be applied to an IRS balance owed for a different year.

However, if the IRS files a return for you, concluding that you owe them money, but you later file a return with a refund,  the refund can reduce the amount due the IRS for that year to zero. You won't be issued a check for any remaining "excess" refund beyond that zero balance.

There is some good news, though. If your filed return shows you overpaid an incorrect assessment, you have a two-year window from the date of each payment to get your money back.