The Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday it has a total of $1 billion worth of unclaimed tax refunds waiting for people who have not filed a 2013 income tax return.
The IRS estimates half the refunds are over $763, while the other half are less than that amount. Taxpayers can claim their refunds by filing a 2013 federal return by Tuesday, April 18, 2017, the filing deadline for this year.
"We’re trying to connect a million people with their share of 1 billion dollars in unclaimed refunds for the 2013 tax year,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen in a statement. “People across the nation haven’t filed tax returns to claim these refunds, and their window of opportunity is closing soon. Students and many others may not realize they’re due a tax refund. Remember, there’s no penalty for filing a late return if you’re due a refund.”
The tax laws give people three years to claim refunds for tax returns they have not yet filed. If they don’t file a return within that time, the refund becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury. To claim a 2013 tax refund, taxpayers need to properly address mail and postmark their tax return by April 18, 2017.
However, even then, they may not receive the money. The IRS warned it may still hold onto the 2013 tax refund check if taxpayers have not yet filed their tax returns for 2014 and 2015. The tax refund will also be applied to any amounts still owed to the IRS or a state tax authority. It could also be used for unpaid child support or past due federal debts, such as student loans.
Here are the state-by-state breakdowns of individuals who may be due 2013 tax refunds, according to IRS estimates:
| State or District | Estimated Number of Individuals | Median Potential Refund | Total Potential Refunds* |
| Alabama | 18,100 | $729 | $17,549,000 |
| Alaska | 4,700 | $917 | $5,665,000 |
| Arizona | 24,800 | $650 | $22,642,000 |
| Arkansas | 9,900 | $722 | $9,571,000 |
| California | 97,200 | $696 | $93,406,000 |
| Colorado | 20,200 | $699 | $19,454,000 |
| Connecticut | 11,500 | $846 | $12,691,000 |
| Delaware | 4,300 | $776 | $4,321,000 |
| District of Columbia | 3,200 | $762 | $3,341,000 |
| Florida | 66,900 | $776 | $67,758,000 |
| Georgia | 34,400 | $671 | $32,082,000 |
| Hawaii | 6,500 | $793 | $6,876,000 |
| Idaho | 4,500 | $619 | $3,919,000 |
| Illinois | 40,000 | $834 | $42,673,000 |
| Indiana | 21,700 | $788 | $22,060,000 |
| Iowa | 10,200 | $808 | $10,193,000 |
| Kansas | 11,100 | $746 | $10,700,000 |
| Kentucky | 12,900 | $772 | $12,627,000 |
| Louisiana | 20,300 | $767 | $21,209,000 |
| Maine | 4,000 | $715 | $3,645,000 |
| Maryland | 22,200 | $770 | $23,080,000 |
| Massachusetts | 23,000 | $838 | $24,950,000 |
| Michigan | 33,600 | $763 | $33,998,000 |
| Minnesota | 15,600 | $691 | $14,544,000 |
| Mississippi | 10,400 | $702 | $10,041,000 |
| Missouri | 22,400 | $705 | $20,787,000 |
| Montana | 3,600 | $727 | $3,480,000 |
| Nebraska | 5,300 | $745 | $5,084,000 |
| Nevada | 12,300 | $753 | $12,078,000 |
| New Hampshire | 4,400 | $892 | $4,930,000 |
| New Jersey | 29,900 | $873 | $33,207,000 |
| New Mexico | 8,100 | $753 | $8,162,000 |
| New York | 54,700 | $847 | $59,416,000 |
| North Carolina | 29,800 | $656 | $26,874,000 |
| North Dakota | 2,900 | $888 | $3,209,000 |
| Ohio | 36,000 | $749 | $34,547,000 |
| Oklahoma | 17,700 | $773 | $17,979,000 |
| Oregon | 15,500 | $658 | $14,188,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 39,400 | $835 | $41,078,000 |
| Rhode Island | 2,900 | $796 | $2,906,000 |
| South Carolina | 12,100 | $674 | $11,267,000 |
| South Dakota | 2,700 | $823 | $2,709,000 |
| Tennessee | 19,500 | $743 | $18,829,000 |
| Texas | 104,700 | $829 | $115,580,000 |
| Utah | 7,900 | $667 | $7,443,000 |
| Vermont | 2,000 | $747 | $1,859,000 |
| Virginia | 29,000 | $752 | $29,578,000 |
| Washington | 27,600 | $829 | $30,330,000 |
| West Virginia | 5,000 | $855 | $5,258,000 |
| Wisconsin | 12,700 | $675 | $11,619,000 |
| Wyoming | 2,800 | $911 | $3,189,000 |
| Totals | 1,042,100 | $763 | $1,054,581,000 |
* Excluding the Earned Income Tax Credit and other credits.
