Customers of the Brooklyn tax preparer Rocket Tax between December 1, 2023 and May 1, 2025 whose fees were not disclosed to them may qualify for a refund from the Rocket Tax restitution fund set up under a settlement with the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Claims are due October 29, 2026, and refunds are paid in the order claims arrive until the fund runs out.
Current Status
Claims are open. The deadline to submit a claim is October 29, 2026, according to the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) claim page and claim form; neither gives a time of day or timezone. This is a city agency settlement, not a court case, so there is no approval hearing to wait on. DCWP reviews claims in the order it receives them and pays refunds until the fund is used up or the deadline passes, whichever comes first, so the fund can run out before October 29.Free settlement alerts
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What Changed Recently?
DCWP settled with Rocket Tax in April 2025. The agency said Rocket Tax, a paid tax preparer with several Brooklyn offices, failed to disclose its fees to customers. Under the settlement, Rocket Tax was required to pay $36,000 in restitution for customers and $22,000 in civil penalties.On December 11, 2025, DCWP said $28,000 of the Rocket Tax restitution money was still unclaimed. It listed the fund among nearly $380,000 in unclaimed restitution from several recent consumer cases. DCWP has not published a newer balance.
Who Qualifies?
DCWP's claim form sets two conditions, and a claimant has to meet both:- They were a Rocket Tax customer between December 1, 2023 and May 1, 2025.
- Rocket Tax failed to disclose its fees to them.
For this settlement, "Rocket Tax" means the businesses owned and operated by its two owners, Demetress Corporation, Rocket Tax Service Inc. and Rocket Tax Inc. The claim form lists five Brooklyn offices, on Livonia Avenue, Pitkin Avenue, Crescent Street, Linden Boulevard and Church Avenue, and asks claimants to check each location they used. Rocket Tax is a separate business from the Rocket Money budgeting app and from Rocket Mortgage.
How Much Can You Get?
There is no set payment amount. Claimants report on the form how much Rocket Tax charged them, and DCWP decides how much each approved claimant is refunded. The form says the refund cannot include money for insurance, incidental costs or pain and suffering.The fund is small. Rocket Tax was required to pay $36,000 in restitution, and $28,000 of it was unclaimed as of December 11, 2025. Because DCWP pays claims in the order they arrive, a claim filed after the money runs out may not be paid, even if it is filed before the deadline.
What Proof Is Required?
Proof is required. The claim form asks for documents showing that Rocket Tax did not disclose its tax preparation fees. It lists these options:- Receipts or fee statements from Rocket Tax
- Copies of tax returns filed at Rocket Tax
- Proof of the tax refund deposit amount for the years filed at Rocket Tax, such as a bank statement or a copy of the check
- Other documents, described by the claimant
DCWP warns that it may not be able to process a claim without these documents. No notice ID or claim number is needed. The form also asks for the approximate dates of service, when the claimant found out about the fees and how. Claimants affirm the information under penalty of perjury.
What Is the Deadline?
The deadline is October 29, 2026. That is the date on DCWP's live claim page and on the claim form itself; neither names a time of day. DCWP's December 11, 2025 announcement gave October 26, 2026, three days earlier, so a claim sent before October 26 meets both dates.How Do You Take Action?
There is no online claim portal. The DCWP Rocket Tax restitution page links to the claim form in English and Spanish. The completed form and supporting documents go to DCWP by email or by mail, using the contact details on that page. The form has four sections, and every one must be completed: general information, the Rocket Tax fees, an affirmation, and a consumer release.What Happens Next?
DCWP reviews claims as they come in and mails approved refunds, signature required, to the mailing address on the claim form. Payments continue until the fund is exhausted or the October 29, 2026 deadline passes. DCWP has not announced a payment schedule. Its December 2025 figure of $28,000 remaining is the latest balance published.Sources and Verification
- NYC DCWP — File a Claim for Rocket Tax Restitution (eligibility, filing method, October 29, 2026 deadline)
- Settlement Fund Claim Form — Rocket Tax (English, PDF) (covered entities, Brooklyn locations, required documents, affirmation and release)
- Settlement Fund Claim Form — Rocket Tax (Spanish, PDF)
- DCWP, "New Yorkers Are Leaving Hundreds of Thousands in Restitution on the Table" (December 11, 2025) (April 2025 settlement date, $36,000 restitution, $22,000 civil penalties, $28,000 remaining)
Questions
Is Rocket Tax the same company as Rocket Money or Rocket Mortgage?
No. The businesses covered by this settlement are Demetress Corporation, Rocket Tax Service Inc. and Rocket Tax Inc., which operated Rocket Tax tax-preparation offices in Brooklyn, along with their owners. The settlement does not involve the Rocket Money budgeting app or Rocket Mortgage.
What if a customer no longer has a Rocket Tax receipt?
The claim form accepts several kinds of proof: receipts or fee statements from Rocket Tax, copies of tax returns filed at Rocket Tax, proof of the tax refund deposit amount such as a bank statement or a copy of the check, or other documents the claimant describes. DCWP says it may not be able to process a claim that has none of these.
How are Rocket Tax refunds paid?
DCWP decides the amount of each refund and mails it, with a signature required, to the mailing address on the claim form. Refunds cover the undisclosed fees only; the form states that DCWP cannot pay for insurance, incidental costs or pain and suffering.
What does a claimant give up by filing?
Section IV of the claim form is a release. By signing it, the claimant confirms they have not already been compensated for the claim and releases Rocket Tax, its owners and its three business entities from further claims arising from the fees described in the form.
Is the Rocket Tax claim form available in Spanish?
Yes. DCWP's Rocket Tax restitution page links to the claim form in both English and Spanish.
