NEARLY $8.5 MILLION IN REFUNDS WAITING TO BE CLAIMED BY MORE THAN 3,400 NEW YORK CITY RESIDENTS; AVERAGE REFUND, WORTH NEARLY $1,800, SITS UNCLAIMED BECAUSE OF MAILING ADDRESS ERRORS
In The Midst of Holiday Shopping Season, Over 3,400 NYC Tax Returns Still Haven't Gone Out Because of Mailing Address Mistakes
Schumer Urges New Yorkers to Visit His Website to Determine Whether They Have a Tax Refund Owed to Them - County By County Report Details Number of Refunds Due To Go Out Across The State
Schumer: These Unclaimed Refunds Could Make The Perfect Gift This Holiday Season for Hard-Pressed NYC Families and Seniors
Yesterday, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer revealed that over 3,400 New Yorkers across all five boroughs are still owed a tax refund that has yet to be delivered because of mailing address errors. Schumer unveiled a new section of his website that will help New York families determine if they're owed a refund by the IRS. The average outstanding refund is $1,780, for a total of $8.46 million citywide in outstanding refunds that should be in the pockets of New York families this holiday season. Schumer's website now links constituents to the Internal Revenue Service's "Where's My Refund?" tool that helps taxpayers determine the status of their refund, helps resolve refund delivery issues and gets the check delivered to the taxpayer, and makes it easy for taxpayers to update their mailing information so that next year's refund is not delayed by mailing errors.
"It's as if there are over 3,400 presents just sitting at the North Pole waiting to get to New York City families," said Schumer. "All you have to do is go online, see if you're on the list, and update your personal information to make sure the refund ends up under the right tree in time for the holidays. Especially during these tough times, an average refund of about $2,000 is real money, and could provide a nice boost to the economy this shopping season. It'll also make holiday shopping just a bit less stressful. I'm strongly urging all New Yorkers who think they might be eligible to visit my website, check the list, and get the money that Uncle Sam owes you. A few minutes of web surfing could mean big savings."
In order to help New Yorkers determine if they are owed a refund, Schumer today unveiled a new page on his website at http://schumer.senate.gov/
In New York State, 7,256 taxpayers are owed an average of $2,023 each for a statewide total of over $14.5 million. Nationwide, the IRS owes nearly 100,000 taxpayers approximately $153.3 million in unclaimed tax refunds. The refunds have not reached their intended recipients because the information the IRS has on file does not match the actual address of the individual that is due to receive the refund. 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 very possible that the refund was delivered to that individual's previous address, and then returned to the IRS. New York taxpayers can update their mailing address on the IRS website to ensure that the most current information is on file, and next year's tax refunds will be delivered to the correct address. 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 appears below. Here is how they break down across New York City: · In the Bronx, 34 taxpayers are owed refunds, with an average refund of $2,707 in Bronx County · In Brooklyn, 1,043 taxpayers are owed refunds, with an average refund of $1,553 in Kings County · In Manhattan, 1,264 taxpayers are owed refunds, with an average refund of $1,805 in New York County · In Queens, 1,026 taxpayers are owed refunds, with an average refund of $1,677 in Queens County · On Staten Island, 75 taxpayers are owed refunds, with an average refund of $1,156 in Richmond County In order to prevent refunds from being delayed in the future Schumer also urged taxpayers to take part in E-filing next year's taxes for free, and setting up an electronic direct deposit system so that refunds aren't tied to physical addresses. According to the IRS, nearly 100 million Americans have utilized e-filing. Schumer points out that the tax filing process is made far easier by e-filing, which includes answers to a variety of frequently asked questions, online fill-able forms, the ability to use direct deposit, and to pay electronically. On top of that, e-filing is considered the safest and fastest option for filing taxes. While the typical paper refund takes 6-8 weeks to receive and can easily be lost due to mailing delays, taxpayers who file electronically could see their refund deposited safely in their bank account in as little as 10 days. This service adds convenience and clarity to the tax filing process, and has continued to gain in popularity in recent years.