Idahoans have $7M in unclaimed tax refunds. Here’s how and when you can claim money
Nearly $7 million in tax refunds is sitting unclaimed in Idaho, and Idahoans don’t have much longer to claim it.
Earlier this week, the Internal Revenue Service announced that almost $1.5 billion in 2019 refunds remain unclaimed nationwide, and taxpayers have until July 17 to claim their money. Any unclaimed funds after that date will become the property of the United States Treasury.
Taxpayers typically have three years to file and claim tax refunds, but an extra year was granted because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The 2019 tax returns came due during the pandemic, and many people may have overlooked or forgotten about these refunds,” IRS commissioner Danny Werfel said in a news release. “We want taxpayers to claim these refunds, but time is running out. People face a July 17 deadline to file their returns. We recommend taxpayers start soon to make sure they don’t miss out.”
The IRS estimates that 7,600 Idahoans are due 2019 income tax refunds for a total of $6,996,000 — that’s an average of $758 per person.
“We frequently see students, part-time workers and others with little income overlook filing a tax return and never realize they may be owed a refund,” Werfel said. “We encourage people to review their records and start gathering records now so they don’t run the risk of missing the July deadline.”
Taxpayers with a 2019 refund waiting for them won’t be eligible to collect it unless they have filed their 2020 and 2021 tax returns. Any refund will also be applied to outstanding amounts owed to the IRS or a state tax agency or to pay unpaid child support or past-due federal debts.
Those who haven’t filed their 2019 tax returns can still do so by the July 17 deadline. You can request copies of tax forms, such as Forms W-2, 1098 and 1099, for previous years from your employer. The IRS also recommends using the Get Transcript Online tool, a free service that provides transcripts of past tax returns and wage and income statements.
This story was originally published April 14, 2023 at 4:00 AM.
