News Release
Congressman Bob Etheridge
North Carolina

April 15, 2003

                                       Contact: Sara Lang
                                       Phone: (202) 225-4531

On Tax Day, Etheridge Works to Return Big Bucks to Hundreds of Triangle Taxpayers

2,300 Taxpayers Owed Over $2.3 Million Statewide

RALEIGH -As North Carolinians rushed to file their federal tax returns by the April 15th deadline, U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) delivered good news and big bucks to hundreds of Triangle-area taxpayers owed thousands of dollars in unclaimed IRS refunds. The IRS currently has 2,300 undeliverable tax refunds totaling $2.3 million throughout North Carolina. Four hundred and seven of these taxpayers reside in the Triangle-based Second Congressional District. Etheridge released these names at a press conference in his Raleigh office this morning and placed them on his website at www.house.gov/etheridge. Taxpayers who do not have access to the Internet can find out if their names are on the IRS refund list by calling Etheridge's office toll free at 1-888-262-6202.

"Folks work too hard for their money for their tax refunds to go undelivered or unclaimed," Etheridge said. "During these hard economic times, it is more important than ever to get this money back into the pockets of North Carolinians. There is over $2 million in unclaimed tax refunds that 2,300 families in North Carolina could be using to fuel the economy, pay off bills or save for a rainy day. Today's announcement will help make sure this money gets where it belongs - in the hands of the taxpayers."

Postal Service regulations require that government checks be returned when the taxpayer moves and fails to file a change of address form or if a person marries and does not have the check addressed to a new name. Many IRS checks are undeliverable because the address on the tax return is illegible or incorrect or taxpayers have moved and failed to provide the IRS a forwarding address. In some cases, the heirs or executor of the estates of deceased taxpayers may not be aware that a deceased individual is owed a tax refund.

Etheridge said that undelivered refunds can be avoided simply by choosing to have refunds directly deposited into the taxpayers' account. Taxpayers who locate their names on the IRS refund list should call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to claim their refund. They can also check the status of their refund by visiting IRS's website at www.irs.gov.

Click here to read the names of the 407 taxpayers in the Second Congressional District who have undelivered or unclaimed IRS refunds.

   
   
   
   

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