La. Taxpayers Missing $1.3 Million in Lost Federal Income Tax Refunds

Posted: Jan 23, 2012 3:31 PM by Melissa Canone/Press Release

Tax time is here, and State Treasurer John Kennedy reminds taxpayers to check to see if the IRS owes them old federal income tax refunds. "Over $1.3 million is owed to 1,362 Louisiana taxpayers whose federal income tax refund checks were undeliverable," said Treasurer Kennedy.

The Louisiana Department of the Treasury has posted the IRS undelivered refund list on its Facebook page located at http://www.facebook.com/LouisianaTreasury. Anyone who sees his or her name should then proceed to the "Where's My Refund" online service of the IRS at www.IRS.gov or by calling 1-800-829-1954.

"One of the main reasons a federal income tax refund can't be delivered is because of an old address," says Treasurer Kennedy. "When a taxpayer moves without notifying the IRS or the post office, the refund check that was sent to the individual's old address is returned to the IRS."

The "Where's My Refund" tool on www.IRS.gov will provide taxpayers with the status of their refunds and will provide information on how to resolve delivery problems. To use the tool, a taxpayer must submit a Social Security Number, filing status and amount of the refund showed on his or her return. Taxpayers can claim their refund checks as soon as they update their addresses with the IRS.

To avoid having an undelivered refund this tax year, the IRS suggests using direct deposit of an income tax refund into a checking or savings account. The IRS also recommends that taxpayers file their tax returns electronically, because e-file eliminates the risk of lost paper returns.

According to the IRS, the public should be aware of common phishing tricks by scammers who e-mail taxpayers to alert them of pending refunds. The IRS does not contact taxpayers by e-mail to alert them of pending refunds and does not ask for personal or financial information through e-mail. The agency urges taxpayers receiving such messages not to release any personal information, reply, open any attachments or click on any links to avoid malicious code that can infect their computers. The best way for an individual to verify if she or he has a pending refund is going directly to www.IRS.gov and using the "Where's My Refund?" tool.

The federal IRS maintains their own unclaimed refund program and does not transfer the funds to Louisiana Department of the Treasury's Unclaimed Property Program.