Does The IRS Have Your Refund Check?

Each year, the IRS faces a pretty odd challenge: trying to give people their money back. If you move or make an error entering your address on your tax return – and you’re due a refund – the IRS may not be able to find you.

This year, the IRS is looking to return $164.6 million in undelivered refund checks. Over 100,000 taxpayers are due a refund with the average undelivered check hitting $1,471.

If you think you might be missing your check, you should make an effort to update your information as soon as possible. You can do this online by using the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on the IRS website. To use the feature, you’ll need to have your Social Security number, filing status and the amount of your 2009 refund handy. If you don’t have access to the web (which would be weird since you’re reading this), you can do it by phone: just call 1-800-829-1954.

You will not be contacted about a potential refund via email. If you receive an email advising you that you might have an email, ignore it. It’s likely a virus, malware or a phishing scam. The IRS will contact you by mail to resolve any refund issues.

Of course, the easiest way to avoid missed refunds in the future is to use direct deposit. With direct deposit, the money will be delivered directly to your bank – you can even split your refund into different accounts such as checking and savings.

If you think you might be owed a refund, look into it now. Don’t miss out on money that was, let’s face it, yours to start with.

Kelly Phillips Erb

Kelly Phillips Erb, known as Taxgirl, is a tax attorney, writer, and speaker who explains tax news, IRS updates, scams, financial crime, and money in plain English.

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