Some North Carolina taxpayers may be entitled to a little bit of extra money this tax season. The Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday it has nearly $1.3 billion in unclaimed tax money.

The money is due to more than 1.4 million U.S. taxpayers from the 2006 filing year, according to the IRS, and a chunk of that belongs to North Carolina citizens.

“In North Carolina, nearly $33 million is unclaimed by about 39,000 taxpayers,” said Mark Hanson, IRS Spokesperson for the Carolinas. “In South Carolina, almost $14 million has not been claimed by about 16,000 taxpayers.”

The median refund for the 2006 tax-year is $604.

Taxes due on April 15, 2007 remain unclaimed for those who might have thought that the negligible amount on a refund wasn’t worth the time or even thought they were below the threshold to file.

“This happens every April 15,” Coen Cox, a Rockingham CPA said. “People think they don’t need to file.”

Cox says there are no legal ramifications for those who opted not file in 2006, as long the IRS owes them money. Otherwise, taxpayers will still owe money and possibly a late charge.

In addition, the IRS reminds taxpayers seeking a 2006 refund that checks can be held if they have not filed tax returns for 2007 or 2008. Refunds will also be applied to any amounts still owed to the IRS and may be used to satisfy unpaid child support or past due federal debts such as student loans, according to a press release from the IRS.

“People are supposed to file if their income passes a certain threshold,” Cox said.

Sometimes people, especially teenagers, who have a job for maybe a week or simply just don’t make much, decide not to file.

If not claimed, the $33 million owed to North Carolina taxpayers, and the $1.3 billion nationwide, will become property of the U.S. Treasury on April 15.

In cases where a return was not filed, the law provides most taxpayers with a three-year window for claiming a refund, Hanson said.

The IRS also said that failing to file returns not only forfeits their withheld taxes, but also some extras, like excise taxes.

For example, most telephone customers, including most cell-phone users, qualified for a one-time telephone excise tax refund. Available only on the 2006 return, the payment applies to long-distance excise taxes paid on phone service billed from March 2003 through July 2006.

The government offers a standard refund amount of $30 to $60, or taxpayers can base their refund request on the actual amount of tax paid.

The window for 2006 refunds closes on April 15, the same day as all U.S. tax returns.

Tax returns for 2006 must be mailed and postmarked by then and cannot be filed electronically. Money can still be deposited via direct deposit which can save time on the return.

Staff writer Bryan Stewart can be reached at 997-3111 ext. 15 or by e-mail at bstewart@yourdailyjournal.com.