March 21, 2014

Manchin Encourages West Virginians to Check For Unclaimed Tax Refunds

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today encouraged West Virginians to check whether they are among the nearly one million taxpayers who have not claimed $760 million in tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If left unclaimed, these tax refunds will become government property. The money comes from people who didn’t file tax returns in 2010, but were eligible for tax refunds. The final deadline for reclaiming tax refunds is April 15.

“When so many families continue to struggle to make ends meet, every penny counts. I strongly encourage all West Virginians to take a look at their records to see if they are eligible to collect tax refunds from the IRS,” Senator Manchin said. “Please check to see if you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of Americans missing a refund that you deserve.”

Taxpayers in West Virginia are one of eight states missing out on the most money. The IRS estimates that approximately 4,100 West Virginians are eligible to receive tax refunds, averaging $626 per refund.

Taxpayers can receive refunds directly into their bank account, split a tax refund into two or three financial accounts or buy a savings bond.

Current and prior year tax forms and instructions are available on the Forms and Publications page of IRS.gov or by calling toll-free 800-829-3676.

Taxpayers who are missing Forms W-2, 1098, 1099 or 5498 for years 2010, 2011 or 2012 should request copies from their employer, bank or other payer.

If these efforts are unsuccessful, taxpayers can get a free transcript showing information from these year-end documents by going to IRS.gov. Taxpayers can also file Form 4506-T to request a transcript of their tax return.

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