Union-Bulletin

If you're one of a handful of taxpayers owed money by the Internal Revenue Service, a quick phone call or trip online could put some cash in your pocket.

The IRS reports 44 area taxpayers - 17 in Walla Walla County and 27 in Umatilla County - are owed $54,281, an average of $1,234 apiece. Agency records show no money owing to taxpayers who listed Garfield and Columbia counties on their returns.

Nationwide, much more money is at stake: $164.6 million owed to about 112,000 taxpayers.

If you're one of the chosen few, very little action is needed to get your money.

The IRS maintains a phone service at 800-829-1954 and has a "Where's My Refund?" tool at irs.gov. Either one can be used to get your refund back on track.

The agency will want to know your Social Security number, filing status and the amount of your 2009 refund. The same tool can be used to check the status of your refund come tax time next year.

The agency says one way taxpayers can reduce the chance of having a check returned to the IRS undelivered is to choose direct deposit for delivery of refunds, whether filing is electronic or by mail. The IRS also says taxpayers who file electronically have a lower risk of lost returns and a quicker turnaround for refunds.

And of course, because good news so rarely is unaccompanied by bad, the IRS warns taxpayers it will not alert them by e-mail of pending refunds, which means any such e-mails you receive - no matter how legitimate in appearance - are counterfeit.

Alasdair Stewart can be reached at alasdairstewart@wwub.com or 526-8311.

The irs owes you money

Internal Revenue Service records, which were authorized for release by Congress, show the following taxpayers are owed money by the agency.

If you are one of these people, call 800-829-1954 or use the "Where's My Refund?" tool at irs.gov to get your just desserts.

Agency records show no money owing to taxpayers who listed Garfield and Columbia counties on their returns.

Taxpayers who listed Walla Walla County addresses on their returns:

Louise A. Daniel

Tawney Minkel

Jordan Sutherland

Oscar A. Barahona

Michael Burseth

Jack M. Carico III

Elise U. and Patricia A. Gomes

Carol E. and Loreta L. Gunderson

Christopher D. Harris

Scott L. Hollowell

John M. and Rosa M. Nehrbass

Pedro Nunez and J. de Dios Gonzalez

Jamie L. Riffle

Franklin D. Roof

Johnny R. and Ruth Rosario

Yolanda C. Trout

Kristina L. Wells

Taxpayers who listed Umatilla County addresses on their returns:

Juan D. Dominguez

Mariah Holden

Mariano Ramirez and Tiofila Murguia

Joseph Robinson

Brian A. Stevens

James E. Welsheimer

Leroy-Delay Kerr

Gabriel Ruiz

Modesta L. Allen

Alejandro Alvarez Ruiz

Beverly J. and Walter H. Gibson Jr.

Walter N. and Elizabeth M. Jackson

Virginia L. and Leo R. Lucero

Jonathan D. and Melissa M. Nitz

Gerald C. Rusher

Charlie R. Sinclair

Lynn H. Williams Smith

Carolyn D. Wood

Byron Wysocki

Donald and Donna Bowen

Cynthia A. Brown

Epitacio Ibarra and J. Gomez-Chavez

Emmanuel Cortez Dirzo

Francisco de la Cruz

Rodolfo Ferrer-Garcia

Agustin Macuixtle

Dewey R. Tegland