Unclaimed Tax Refunds: How To Claim Yours

When a taxpayer owes money on their taxes theythousands of individuals each year fail to file tax
need to pay the amount owed before the traditionalreturns which would result in them receiving a refund.
April 15th deadline. If the amount owed on taxes is notFiling a tax refund is a fairly simple process. For under
paid before the deadline, then federal and statethirty dollars an individual can purchase a tax software
governments can impose a number of late fees andprogram that will make tax preparation easy and quick.
penalties. While there are penalties for failing to a payMost taxpayers can prepare their own paper taxes
taxes on time, there are no penalties assessed toby filling out a federal 1040A or a 1040EZ form. Each
individuals who are due a refund but fail to file their taxof these forms is likely to take less than an hour for
returns on time.the average taxpayer to complete.
Tax season is a stressful time for many taxpayers.A taxpayer has until three years after the year that
With hectic lives and busy schedules it is likely that anthey were supposed to file their tax return to claim
individual may not find the time to have their taxestheir refund. For taxpayers to get their refund they
prepared. As previously mentioned, there is the chancehave to file the federal or state tax return forms that
of late fees and other additional penalties for individualsthey previously failed to file. Since the tax laws change
who owe taxes; therefore, many individuals who arefrom year to year, a taxpayer looking to reclaim their
expected to owe money are more likely to find theunclaimed tax refund must use a tax form for the
time to have their taxes completed on time than thoseyear they missed. By visiting the website of the Internal
who do not. There are no penalties for taxpayers whoRevenue Service (IRS) at an individual can find and
are expected to receive a refund to file their taxesdownload old federal tax forms. The same can be
late; however, there may be another problem thatdone with most old state tax forms. To do so
arises. That problem is what is known as unclaimedindividuals are encouraged to visit the website of their
tax refunds.state tax department and then download the specific
Unclaimed tax refunds are tax refunds that are due toforms they need.
a particular taxpayer; however, they failed to claimIt is hard to imagine why a taxpayer would not want to
them. Unclaimed tax refunds often result when a busyclaim their tax refund. Unclaimed tax refunds do not
taxpayer who expects a tax refund puts off sendingbenefit anyone but the federal or state government. A
in their tax forms until it is completely forgotten about.tax refund is money that is owed to a taxpayer
Although the majority of Americans look forward tobecause he or she paid too much in taxes. Why pay
the day that their tax refund arrives, there are stillmore money in taxes than you have to? Act now
many others who allow their refunds to becomebefore your money is forever known as one of the
unclaimed tax refunds. It is estimated that hundreds tomany unclaimed tax refunds.