Check out unclaimed tax-refund checks

Marisa O’Neil

The Internal Revenue Service is looking for the rightful owners of

more than $112,000 in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, and some of it

may belong to you.

Each year, millions of dollars in tax refunds go unclaimed, IRS

spokesman Raphael Tulino said. The most frequent reason is a change

of address, he said.

“People move throughout the year,” he said. “Life changes for

folks.”

There are 101 unclaimed tax refund checks due to people in Newport

Beach and Costa Mesa that range from $1 to $28,624, Tulino said.

Nationwide, $73 million is unclaimed, according to the IRS, and

one taxpayer in Los Angeles still hasn’t claimed a $1 million check.

“For some people, it’s out of sight, out of mind,” Tulino said.

Although most people expecting a refund wait with bated breath,

sometimes it takes longer than planned to get it, Newport Beach tax

preparer Dave Tax said.

“It takes the IRS a long time to process things,” he said. “Some

people have moved or relocated or are no longer at that address. But

most people know about a refund coming. They’re on the lookout for it

and wait for the postman.”

Sometimes people fill out a change-of-address form at the post

office and expect the IRS to be able to update its records at the

same time, Tulino said.

That works, but only if the name on the post office form exactly

matches IRS records, he said. If someone omits a middle name or adds

an initial, the IRS won’t update the address.

One way to avoid delays is to file taxes electronically and have

the refund deposited directly into a checking account, he said.

“People get it so much faster,” Tulino said. “It’s credited there

in 14 days or less. It’s more convenient for the taxpayer and has

benefits for the government because they don’t have to print out and

mail the checks.”

Those who want to do it the old-fashioned way but have to move

before their check comes, should file a change-of-address form with

the IRS.