According to IRS Notice 2022-36, a wide range of tax and information returns for the 2019 and 2020 tax years will automatically be exempt from failure-to-file penalties.

The IRS stated in the notification and stated in a news release that the estimated 1.6 million taxpayers who have already paid these fines will automatically receive an estimated $1.2 billion in refunds or credits. Additionally, the penalties are automatically abated.

The IRS stated that it will pay the majority of refunds or apply credits before the end of the following month without the requirement for taxpayers to request this assistance. However, in order to qualify for the relief, any returns that are still owed for the two tax years must be submitted before September 30, 2022.