What to Do If Your IRS Refund Is Lost or Stolen – NBC New York (47)

Nothing more frustrating than waiting for your refund and tax credit payments for weeks, even months, only to discover that the money is missing or stolen. The most pressing question for taxpayers in these cases is whether they can get their checks replaced and how to track the money.

You can always check the status of your payment using the tool Where is my refund? at IRS.gov or the IRS2Go mobile app. The system updates no more than once every 24 hours, usually overnight.

If the platform indicates that the IRS issued your refund, but you haven’t received it, your money may have been lost or stolen.

MISSING REFUND IN CASE OF DIRECT DEPOSIT

If this is the case, you can ask the IRS to track the refund. Here we explain the process the IRS uses to track down a lost, stolen, or misplaced refund check or to verify that a financial institution received a direct deposit.

Before asking the IRS to track your refund, you should verify that there are no errors on your tax return and that the full processing time for a refund has passed.

If you requested a direct deposit refund, double check the bank account information you provided to the IRS to make sure there are no errors on your tax return. Please note that the IRS assumes no responsibility for errors made by the taxpayer or the tax preparer. You should also check with your financial institution to make sure the error was not on your part.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE NOT RECEIVED MY REFUND DUE TO AN IRS DELAY?

The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act made the following changes, effective for the 2017 tax filing season, to help prevent loss of income due to Identity Theft and Refund Fraud Related to False Wages and Withholdings:

• The IRS may not issue a credit or refund before February 15 if you claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) on your tax return.
• This change only affects returns claiming the EITC or ACTC filed before February 15.
• The IRS will hold your entire refund, including any portion of your refund that is not associated with the EITC or ACTC.

Tips to get more money in your pockets.

Neither the Treasury Department nor the IRS can release any part of your refund before that date, even if you are experiencing financial hardship.

WHEN CAN I ASK THE IRS TO TRACK MY REFUND?

DIRECT DEPOSIT: The IRS generally deposits refunds within 21 days of receiving your electronic tax return. If you don’t receive your deposit within five days following the 21 days have passed, you can request a follow-up refund.

PAPER CHECK: If you don’t receive your refund check within six weeks of mailing your tax return to the IRS, you can request a refund follow-up.

WHAT IS HE FORM 3911?

To track your refund, you’ll need to complete Form 3911, Taxpayer’s Statement Regarding Refund.

The Form 3911 notify the IRS that you have not received the money to which you are entitled. That way, the tax agency launches an investigation to determine where your payment is and why you haven’t received it.

If you want to avoid problems and delays with your return, it is very important to choose a professional who is trained and honest. The IRS gives us tips and warnings. Visit https://irs.treasury.gov/rpo/rpo.jsf for more details.

The primary purpose of Form 3911 is to track missing payments, not to determine the accuracy of the amount or whether you meet the criteria to receive that money. You should only file Form 3911 if a significant amount of time has passed since you filed your tax return.

You can expect a response within 6 to 8 weeks following you file Form 3911. Keep in mind that there will be delays as the tax agency continues to process millions of returns while issuing refunds and child credit payments.

HOW TO COMPLETE A FORM 3911 STEP BY STEP

You will need to provide the following information:

consultation date

Tax return year

Refund amounts

repayment dates

Check or direct deposit

CONDITION:

The Postal Service returned the check because it might not be delivered

The check was not cashed within one year of the date it was issued and is required by law to be uncashable

Lost, stolen or destroyed

SECTION I

Name

ITIN or Social Security

Name of wife

ITIN or Social Security of the spouse

Direction

Phone number

Modified personal information

Representative name

Return Type

Type of refund requested

SECTION II – REIMBURSEMENT INFORMATION

Status: You did not receive a refund; lost, stolen or destroyed

Bank number and account where you normally cash or deposit checks

Transit numbers and account numbers shown on the return for refund were not received

SECTION III – CERTIFICATION

Company

Date

Spouse signature

Date

SECTION IV – VERIFICATION DESCRIPTION

Return Date

Amount

HOW DO I SEND THE FORM TO THE IRS ONCE IT IS COMPLETED?

By fax or by mail. You must mark the EIP or CTC Tracking Request on the envelope before submitting it.

These are the addresses by state:

Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont
Andover Internal Revenue Service, 310 Lowell St., Andover, MA 01810

Fax: [phone]

Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Virginia
Atlanta Internal Revenue Service, 4800 Buford Hwy., Chamblee, GA 30341

Fax: [phone]

Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas
Austin Internal Revenue Service, 3651 S. Interregional Hwy 35, Austin, TX 78741

Fax: [phone]

New York
Brookhaven Internal Revenue Service, 1040 Waverly Ave., Holtsville, NY 11742

Fax: [phone]

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Fresno Internal Revenue Service, 5045 E. Butler Ave., Fresno, CA 93888

Fax: [phone]

Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, West Virginia
Kansas City Internal Revenue Service, 333 W. Pershing Rd., Kansas City, MO 64108

Fax: [phone]

Alabama, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee
Memphis Internal Revenue Service, 5333 Getwell Rd. Memphis, TN 38118

Fax: [phone]

District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island
Philadelphia Internal Revenue Service: 2970 Market St. Philadelphia, PA 19104

Fax: [phone]

A foreign country, US territory, use an APO or FPO address, file Form 2555 or 4563
Austin Internal Revenue Service, 3651 S. Interregional Hwy 35, Austin, TX 7874

Fax: [phone]

WILL I GET THE MONEY BACK IF MY REFUND WAS LOST OR STOLEN?

Once the IRS finishes tracking your refund, the IRS’s next steps depend on whether you requested your refund as a direct deposit or a paper check.

If your refund was direct deposited, the financial institution will receive a letter within six weeks from the Office of the Fiscal Service at the Department of the Treasury verifying where the deposit went.

If it was a paper check and it hasn’t been cashed, you’ll receive a replacement refund check in regarding six weeks.

If your original refund check was cashed, you will receive a claim package within six weeks to complete and return to the Fiscal Service Office to process a claim.

If the IRS determines that the check was forged, it will issue a replacement refund check and notify the IRS.

If your claim is denied, the Fiscal Service Office will send you a denial letter with instructions on how to appeal the decision.

LEGAL HELP

If your problem with the IRS is causing you financial hardship, you’ve tried repeatedly and haven’t received a response from the tax agency, or you believe your rights as a taxpayer are not being respected, consider contacting the IRS. Taxpayer Defense Service (TAS).

You can receive representation from an attorney, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or Enrolled Agent (EA) associated with a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) for little or no cost. Low Income Taxpayer Clinics also provide information on taxpayer rights and responsibilities in different languages ​​for people who speak English as a second language.

For more details on your refund being lost or stolen, visit the IRS fact sheet here.

To contact the Taxpayer Defense Service open here.