Help Me Hank: Unclaimed Cash

Here's a list you'll definitely want to look at. If your name is on it - a lot of money could be waiting for you.

Hank Phillippi Ryan
"So there are 3,000 checks available?"

Peggy Riley, Internal Revenue Service
"That's right."

It all began on tax day-- people sent in their tax forms--and then the IRS cut them an advance child tax credit payment or a refund check.

Those checks were mailed on time--but came right back to the IRS --addressee unknown.

Peggy Riley, Internal Revenue Service
"People sometimes do forget to their address with the postal service so these checks come back as undeliverable."

As a result, the IRS typed up this list of all these Massachusetts taxpayers who are missing their money. And we're talking big bucks--a total of $2.2 million.

Hank Phillippi Ryan
"How easy is it to get this money?"

Peggy Riley, Internal Revenue Service
"It’s not very difficult."

But here's the problem--though the IRS knows about the missing taxpayers--and does mail them reminder notices --the agency does not try to track down their new addresses.

So we got on the web, and got on the phone, and did some taxpayer tracking of our own. We found $88 in advance child tax credit for Jennifer Hughes.

Jennifer Hughes
"I had no idea."

She had moved with her daughters to a new town.

Jennifer Hughes
"Especially around the holidays every bit counts."

For Alan Joseph--we found a tax refund of $5,400!

Alan Joseph
"This was just like a wonderful surprise, and I thank you guys for it."

So now take one more look at the list: if your name is here--just go to the IRS web site, then follow the instructions--you'll just have to answer some quick questions--then head to your mailbox for a pre-holiday payoff.

Peggy Riley, Internal Revenue Service
"If you call us now you could get your money before Christmas and that would help a lot of families I'm sure."

Of course you want to check for your name, so go to our web site for a look at the list. Do it quickly--if you miss the deadline for getting your money now --you'll have to wait until you file your next tax return.

The IRS has $118 million in checks to resend. cash could be waiting for you if you are one of the more than 200,000 whose refund or advance child tax credit check was returned to the IRS. to find out if your name is on the list, use the refund search features on the site below and find out if the IRS has money for you.

http://www.irs.gov