The list of 9th Congressional district residents with unclaimed/ undeliverable tax refunds released.

Press Release - April 16, 2001

CHICAGO, IL – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today released the list of 9th Congressional District residents with unclaimed/undeliverable tax refunds sitting at the IRS. The list is also posted on www.house.gov/schakowsky/. Those who discover their name on the list or suspect that the IRS owes them a refund can call 1-800-829-1040. “On Tax Day, 2001, the IRS owes you money and you may not even know it,” Schakowsky said.

The list, updated by the IRS in November, includes the names of 9th CD residents who filed taxes and never received their tax refunds. According to the IRS, the total number of Illinois residents who are owed a refund is 3,355, a total of $2,710,697 and an average refund of $808. Nationwide, the number of taxpayers owed a refund is 91,823, for a total of $67,413,376 and an average of $734.

Because of invalid addresses, the tax refund checks were undeliverable and many have yet to be claimed. Postal Service regulations require that government checks be returned when the taxpayer moves and doesn't file a change of address form or if a person marries and does not have the check addressed in their new name. Many checks are undeliverable because the address on the tax return is not legible or is incorrect. And in some cases, people pass away and the executor of their estate doesn't know that they have an unclaimed tax refund. The money is never forfeited to the government. The IRS holds it until it is claimed.