Josh Baker, EVP of Client Advocacy
Recently, I received an email from a taxpayer looking for help in retrieving a refund she felt the IRS owed her. She wanted to know if we could assist her in getting the rather large refund she was due on her federal tax return from 2004.
Unfortunately, I had to advise her there is a statute on tax refunds. You must claim any refund that is due within three years of the date of the return. In this taxpayer’s case, her 2004 return had to be filed by April 15, 2005. That means, she could have claimed the refund anytime between the time her return was processed, up until April 15, 2008. If the refund is not claimed, it is returned to the general fund of the U.S. Treasury.
Because the taxpayer did not give me any details about why she was unable to claim her refund before the statute ran out, I did tell her she could try calling the Taxpayer Advocate Service to see if they might be able to assist her in getting the refund. As with all tax issues, however, the ultimate decision lies with the IRS.
For more information on claiming tax refunds, visit the IRS site. There is more information on the Taxpayer Advocate Service section of the IRS website.
Josh Baker is the Executive Vice President of Client Advocacy for JK Harris and Company, LLC. Josh started with the company in August 2004 as the Director of Corporate Communications. He currently oversees Client Advocacy and the Communications Department at JK Harris.
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