The IRS has announced it holds $153 million in undelivered refund checks owed to nearly 100,000 taxpayers, representing an average of $1,547 per taxpayer (IRS News Release IR-2011-113). The IRS has been unable to deliver the refunds due to mailing address errors.
Taxpayers who wish to check the status of their refund and/or resolve an incorrect or outdated mailing address may use the IRS online tool “Where’s My Refund?” Taxpayers may also contact the IRS at (800)-829-1954.
The IRS does not notify taxpayers by e-mail of pending refunds and cautioned taxpayers who receive purported emails from the agency to report these scams.
To prevent refunds from returning undelivered to taxpayers, the IRS recommended that taxpayers file their tax returns electronically, which reduces errors and also speeds the delivery of refunds. Additionally, taxpayers can reduce mailing errors by taking advantage of the direct deposit option for refunds.