Taxpayers Reminded to Cash Outstanding Refund Checks

Last year, the department transferred nearly 4,000 unclaimed personal income tax refunds totaling $421,000 to the Department of State Lands.

Salem-News.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - Have you received an Oregon income tax refund check in the past two years that you still haven't cashed? If so, the Oregon Department of Revenue encourages you to cash it soon. State law requires the Department of Revenue to send unclaimed tax refunds to the Department of State Lands' unclaimed property program after two years. According to the Department of Revenue, businesses and individual taxpayers are holding on to nearly 52,000 uncashed Oregon refund checks less than two years old. Last year, the department transferred nearly 4,000 unclaimed personal income tax refunds totaling $421,000 to the Department of State Lands. "You can still collect your refund after two years," said Revenue's Financial Manager J.P. Jones, "but it's much easier if you cash your refund check before we turn it over to the unclaimed property program." If your refund check is lost or destroyed, Revenue can issue another check. Call 1-800-356-4222 (toll-free from an Oregon prefix) or 503-378-4988 (Salem and outside Oregon). If the two years is up on your refund, visit the Oregon Department of State Lands website, www.oregonstatelands.us. Click on "Unclaimed Property Name Search" in the middle of the screen.