Undeliverable refunds.

• Author: Laffie, Lesli S.
• Position: Unclaimed tax refunds

In 2000, the IRS received 128 million individual tax returns and issued 91 million refunds. However, according to IR-2000-78, as of mid-November 2000, the IRS was looking for more than 90,000 taxpayers who had not received tax refund checks worth $67.4 million.

An annual review showed 91,823 Federal tax refunds were returned to the IRS, a drop from 102,840 the previous year. The new tally included tax refunds from 1999 and prior tax years.

The total amount of returned refunds fell $4.6 million from a year ago, when they totaled $72 million. The average per-check amount was $734, compared to $700 last year.

Refunds can be checked at (800) 829-1040. The biggest number of undeliverable refunds stems from California (14,648), New York (8,519), Florida (8,208) and Texas (8,046).

The average undelivered refund amount in Florida is $1,017, the highest in the nation and well above the national average. Minnesota, with an average of $997, is a close second, followed by New York with $940, Nevada with $868 and Illinois with $808.

There are many reasons why refund checks might not reach taxpayers. Most frequently, people move and the tax refunds are returned to the IRS. For example, college students might file a return while at school and move before the refund arrives.

Other undelivered refunds can occur because taxpayers provide an incorrect address when they mail their return. Taxpayers should take extra care when providing a return address. Often, numbers are transposed or...