Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

Tax refund checks are undeliverable for nearly 3,600 Illinoisans

There are nearly 3,600 Illinois taxpayers whose refund checks have been returned to the IRS as undeliverable.

In St. Clair County, 49 residents have an average refund of about $1,913 sitting at the IRS, waiting to be claimed.

"In Illinois, the average undeliverable refund is $1,023," said Sue Hales, IRS spokeswoman for Illinois. "We'd like to get this money back to taxpayers as quickly as possible. All we need is an updated address and we can reissue the check."

Refund checks go astray for reasons that vary with each taxpayer, Hales said. Many times it's because a life change - such as a marriage or divorce - causes an address change. If a taxpayer moves and does not notify the IRS or the U.S. Postal Service, a check sent to their last known address is returned to the IRS.

Nationwide, 107,831 refunds totaling $123.5 million were returned to the IRS. Undeliverable refund checks average $1,148 this year, compared to $990 last year. Some taxpayers are due more than one check.

Taxpayers can find out if they are due a tax refund by visiting the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov and clicking on "Where's My Refund."

To use this feature, enter information from the 2008 tax return including the Social Security number, filing status and refund amount. Taxpayers will get the status of their refund check and in some cases get instructions to resolve delivery problems.

Taxpayers can also check on the status of their refund by calling (800) 829-1954. Taxpayers checking on a refund by phone will be given instructions on how to update their address.

After moving, taxpayers can ensure the IRS has their correct address by filing Form 8822, Change of Address, with the IRS. The form is available on the IRS Web site or by calling (800) 829-3676.