Mailing address errors leave tax refunds in limbo

U.S. Senator Mark Pryor today urged Arkansans to collect tax refunds that have not been delivered due to mailing address errors. The average outstanding refund for Arkansas is just over $1,000, for a total of $861,087 statewide.

“Millions of dollars in refunds are sitting at the IRS when it should be in the pockets of hard-working families,” Pryor said. “I hope Arkansans will take a few minutes, use this simple tool, and collect any refunds they may be due. Many families are struggling to keep up these days and every dollar counts.”

To help Arkansans determine if they are owed a refund, they can visit the “Where’s my Refund” tool on the IRS website. Basic information found on a tax return is required, such as a Social Security number, filing status, and refund amount from a tax return. Taxpayers who prefer to contact the IRS via phone can do so by dialing 1-800-829-1954.

Refund checks are mailed to a taxpayer’s last known mailing address, and returned to the IRS in the event that an individual has moved or is no longer listed at that address. If a taxpayer moves without notifying the U.S. Postal Service or the IRS, it is possible that the refund was delivered to that individual’s previous address, and then returned to the IRS. Nationwide, the IRS owes nearly 100,000 taxpayers approximately $153.3 million in unclaimed tax refunds.

Electronic filing and direct deposit reduce errors on tax forms and saves the federal government millions in processing and compliance costs. That’s why Pryor last month introduced the Free File Program Act of 2011, which ensures most taxpayers can continue to e-file their federal tax returns for free.

Taxpayers throughout the state are owed a refund from the IRS, and a full report with the average value of the refund in counties that have more than ten taxpayers who are owed refunds.

In Garland County there are 33 people owed a total of $12, 722, an average of $386 for each person.

In Saline County there are 12 people owed a total of $9,782, an average of $815 for each person.