Congressman Brad Sherman (D - Sherman Oaks) announced that 4,176 taxpayers in Los Angeles County are owed $6,722,735 in tax refunds. In many instances, the United States Postal Service was unable to deliver refund checks due to mailing address errors. In an effort to assist taxpayers in collecting their tax refunds, Congressman Sherman has posted a list of Los Angeles County residents who are owed a refund for their 2010 taxes on his web page, BradSherman.house.gov.
"For a struggling family, a thousand or even a few hundred dollars can help with the costs of housing, food, medicine and other important provisions," said Congressman Sherman. "If there is any chance you have an unclaimed refund, check out our website to see if you're on the list and learn how to contact the IRS to collect your refund."
In California, the top three undeliverable refunds average $36,900. The average 2010 tax refund check was $1,610 in Los Angeles County. This information is also listed at BradSherman.house.gov. The Internal Revenue Service owes refunds to 869 residents in the San Fernando Valley, but their checks were returned to the U.S. Postal Service because some families moved without leaving a forwarding address or the IRS found errors in the taxpayers' favor, but could not locate the people owed the unexpected windfalls.
If a taxpayer moves after filing his or her tax return and doesn't leave a forwarding address, the Postal Service returns the check to the IRS. If a person changes his or her name, perhaps after marriage, and doesn't notify the Social Security Administration of the name change, then their Social Security number will not properly match in IRS computers. This can slow or prevent the transfer of old refund checks to them. And, in the case of deceased taxpayers, some families and executors of estates may not know that they had an unclaimed refund.
California taxpayers should also check with the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) for unclaimed refunds by visiting www.ftb.ca.gov/online/refund.
Congressman Sherman represents half of the San Fernando Valley. Before he was elected to Congress in 1996, Sherman, a certified public accountant, was chairman of the California State Board of Equalization -- the nation's only elected tax commission and America's second largest tax agency.
To help assist taxpayers collect their refund, Congressman Sherman has posted a list of all Los Angeles County residents who are owed a refund for their 2010 taxes on his web page.
See if the IRS Owes YOU Money!
For All Residents in Los Angeles County: BradSherman.house.gov/LACountyRefunds
If you see your name, call the IRS at (800) 829-1040 and ask for Form 3911 to claim your refund. If you live outside the Los Angeles County Area (or if you did live outside the LA County area when a refund may have been sent to you), call the IRS at that same main number, (800) 829-1040, and an IRS service representative will help you.
More Helpful Refund Information:
Taxpayers should also check with the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) for unclaimed refunds. There are some 52,000 old refunds in California from previous years remaining at the FTB which are cumulatively worth $17 million. The largest outstanding individual refund is worth over $39,000.
To claim a missing refund from the FTB, you must call them at (800) 338-0505 for assistance. Through this telephone number, the FTB can initiate an investigation into a missing refund and, if applicable, issue a new refund check.
Reminder to Taxpayers:
If you need extra time paying your taxes during these hard economic times, you have the option of filing an IRS Form 9465 to request a monthly installment plan (or apply online at http://www.irs.gov). You can also file a California FTB Form 3561 to request an installment plan for your state taxes.