 WICHITA, KANSAS Guarding Against Undeliverable Tax Refund Checks Our 1998 income tax returns will be due within a few short months. It is important to verify that your tax return preparer is using the correct name and address information on your return. The Internal Revenue Service has recently announced that more than 99,000 1997 refund checks have proven to be undeliverable by the U.S. Postal Service. The checks total more than $68 million and average almost $690 per check. The checks were undeliverable because of incorrect names or addresses or because the taxpayers have moved without giving the IRS the new address. In 1998, 82.8 million taxpayers have received refunds averaging $1,346. Taxpayers who are entitled to refunds, but have not received them, may call the IRS' toll-free assistance line at 1-800-829-1040. To make sure that a refund check is delivered and guard against loss or theft, a taxpayer may choose to have a refund deposited directly in the taxpayer's bank account. This can be accomplished by filling in just two extra lines on the tax form. And taxpayers who have moved since filling their most recent returns should file Form 8822, Change of Address. The foregoing article has been prepared by Bever Dye, LC, as a service to our clients for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is designed to provide general information concerning recent developments and topics of interest in the areas of tax and estate planning law. Do not take action in reliance on items contained in this article without obtaining the advice of an attorney. |