Deadline For Montana Taxpayers to Get Their “COVID Tax Refund” is Approaching

I don't know about you, but the COVID-19 pandemic still feels surreal. It was a crazy time, right? And I mean no matter what side you were on - whether you were pro or anti-mask, you have to admit that living through that was weird.

Now, here we are in 2026, and the government is still cleaning up the mess that was the pandemic.

COVID Tax Refunds Are Real and You Might Be Eligible

First, let's get this straight: these are not relief checks like some received during the pandemic to help through difficult times.

Rather, these are checks refunding taxpayers who may have been hit with penalties and/or interest due to the COVID-19 pandemic - more on that in a sec.

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According to the Taxpayer Advocate Service, taxpayers have until Friday, July 10th to file a claim for a refund or credit.

But how do you know if you qualify?

How to Qualify for COVID Tax Refund

According to the TAS, you could qualify for a "COVID Tax Refund" if you meet any of the following criteria:

• Filed a return during the COVID-19 disaster relief period and were assessed penalties or interest related to that return;
• Paid or still owe penalties or interest for filing or paying late during that period;
• Filed late international information returns; or
• Believe they may have missed a refund, refundable credit, withholding credit, estimated tax payment credit, or other tax benefit for tax years affected by the COVID-19 postponement period.

TAS said back in April that "a federal disaster declaration was in effect from January 20, 2020, through May 11, 2023" with "sixty additional days extended the period to July 10, 2023, for tax purposes."

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Due to a court ruling, "filing and payment deadlines were postponed during that entire period, and as a result, tax returns and payments due anytime within that window were not late until after July 10, 2023."

All I'm going to say is money is money and if there's a chance you could get anything back, you absolutely should.

Learn more about how to get your claim and see if you qualify HERE.