New Web Feature Helps with Lost Refund Checks
“Where’s My Refund?,” the popular Internet-based service used by taxpayers to
check on their federal income tax refunds, now offers a safe and easy way to
trace refund checks and update a flawed mailing address.
These enhancements allow taxpayers to start a trace for lost or missing
refund checks and notify the Internal Revenue Service of an address change when
a refund check goes undelivered.
“This new feature lets taxpayers take quick and easy steps to track down a
lost refund,” said IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson. “It can reduce headaches
for nearly 88,000 taxpayers who wind up with undelivered refund checks each
year.”
Taxpayers securely access their personal refund information through IRS.gov,
the agency’s Web site. They enter their Social Security number, filing status
and the exact amount of their refund. These shared secrets — data known only to
the taxpayer and IRS — verify the person is authorized to access the account and
make it possible to avoid delays in tracing refunds and changing an address.
Taxpayers used “Where’s My Refund?” nearly 24 million times last year and
have used it more than 16 million times so far this year.
The new features offer step-by-step instructions to allow taxpayers to trace
their lost checks and change or correct their mailing addresses when their
refund checks have been returned to the IRS as undeliverable. When the taxpayer
makes the change online, it automatically updates the IRS database and provides
a date when the refund check should be received.
The new services are specialized so only those taxpayers who actually need
the services will see them online. The refund trace can be started 28 days after
the date the IRS says the refund check was mailed. Taxpayers who file married,
filing joint tax returns must also complete and fax or mail a copy of Form 3911,
Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund. Signatures of both taxpayers must be on the
form. The form is only required for those whose filing status is married, filing
joint.
Taxpayers can avoid undelivered refund checks by having their refunds
directly deposited into a personal checking or savings account. Direct deposit
also guards against theft or lost refund checks. The option is available for
both paper and electronically filed returns.
Almost 36 million taxpayers have used direct deposit for $94 billion in
refunds this year. The number of direct deposit refunds is up nearly 12 percent
from last year.
Link:
Where’s My Refund?
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