IRS' Handling of Undelivered Income Tax Refund Checks
GGD-81-71
Published: Apr 10, 1981. Publicly Released: Apr 14, 1981.
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Highlights
GAO was asked to review the actions taken by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in response to previous GAO recommendations that IRS: (1) furnish the news media with lists of individuals entitled to undelivered tax refunds; and (2) determine if information in the Social Security Administration's (SSA) benefit files would be useful in locating individuals entitled to undelivered tax refunds.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Revenue Service | The Commissioner of IRS should require routine monitoring of IRS districts' efforts in getting newspapers to publish lists of individuals entitled to undelivered refund checks and measure the effectiveness of these lists in getting checks delivered to rightful individuals. |
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of HHS should direct the Commissioner of Social Security to assist IRS in determining the feasibility of using the Social Security Administration's benefits files as a means of locating individuals entitled to income tax refund checks by (1) matching as soon as possible IRS computer tapes on undelivered refunds to address information on SSA's benefit files; and (2) resolving the disclosure issue as quickly as possible so that taxpayers identified by the computer tape match can be notified, either by an SSA or IRS mailing, that they are entitled to undelivered tax refund checks. |
Please call 202/512-6100 for additional information.
|
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Topics
Check disbursement or controlComputer matchingGovernment information disseminationMail delivery problemsTax refundsBeneficiariesComputer filesUndelivered tax refundsPrivacy protectionIncome taxes