BLOG: IRS Has $153 Million In Undelivered Checks
By Jim Donovan: In an annual reminder to taxpayers, the Internal Revenue has announced that it is looking to return $153.3 million in undelivered tax refund checks.
In all, 99,123 taxpayers are due refund checks this year that could not be delivered because of mailing address errors. This includes over $6 million dollars owed to PA residents. Nationally the undelivered refund checks average $1,547 this year.
Taxpayers who believe their refund check may have been returned to the IRS as undelivered should use the "Where's My Refund?" tool on IRS.gov. The tool will provide the status of their refund and, in some cases, instructions on how to resolve delivery problems.
Taxpayers checking on a refund over the phone will receive instructions on how to update their addresses. Taxpayers can access a telephone version of "Where's My Refund?" by calling 1-800-829-1954.
While only a small percentage of checks mailed out by the IRS are returned as undelivered, taxpayers can put an end to lost, stolen or undelivered checks by choosing direct deposit when they file either paper or electronic returns. Last year, more than 78.4 million taxpayers chose to receive their refund through direct deposit. Taxpayers can receive refunds directly into their bank account, split a tax refund into two or three financial accounts or even buy a savings bond.
