Ohio Valley Politics

While cleaning out my inbox I came across this press release from Congressman Charlie Wilson’s office. I don’t really have anything to add to it, but it’s still interesting.

You can read it after the break.

Wilson Helps Connect Taxpayer with Unclaimed IRS Funds

Washington, D.C. – On Congressman Charlie Wilson’s recent district tour, Mary Ann Borch introduced herself to Wilson after his economic listening session in Pomeroy. She told the Congressman that thanks to his website, she recovered $3,500 in unclaimed funds from the IRS. Wilson enjoys sharing good news and has asked her permission to share the story she told him.

“This past December I sent out a press release to the media announcing that up to 119 taxpayers in Ohio’s Sixth District had money coming to them from the Internal Revenue Service. They probably didn’t even know the IRS owed them money,” Wilson said.

There are a variety of reasons that tax refunds get marked “undeliverable” and returned to the IRS every year. Perhaps a resident moved or made a mistake with their return address. The IRS reported the average unclaimed refund was $953 and that the funds would be delivered as soon as taxpayers updated their addresses with the IRS.

“The Media took my press release from there,” Wilson said. “Many TV and radio stations and local newspapers in Ohio’s Sixth District ran stories about the unclaimed funds and directed people to my website to see if their name was on the list.”

About that time Mary Ann Borch of Athens County got a phone call.

“A stranger called me to say he was driving to work and heard a piece on the radio about the website that Charlie Wilson had about unclaimed funds,” Borch said.

The caller explained that he heard a story about the unclaimed funds. When he got to work he logged onto Wilson’s website and saw a zip code he recognized. It was Borch’s. He didn’t know Mary Ann Borch, but figured since she was a neighbor, he’d look her up and let her know she was on the IRS unclaimed funds list.

Meanwhile, Borch’s husband was sure the caller was trying to scam the Borch family. “My husband’s yelling in the background, ‘hang up!’” Borch said.

Long story short, Borch took the caller’s advice, went to Wilson’s website and found out the IRS had thousands of dollars in unclaimed funds for her.

“I followed the directions and it told me right away that I was getting back 3500!” Borch said.

“My parents had died in August 2005 and as the executor of their estate I had money coming and going, taking their funds, paying lawyers,” Borch explained. With all of the many transactions going on, Borch didn’t realize she was owed money.

“It sure was nice to have it. My son’s going back to college and every bit helps,” Borch said.

In addition to checking the list on Wilson’s website, taxpayers can check to see if they’re on the unclaimed funds list by calling the IRS toll-free Refund Hotline at 1-800-829-1954.

“Check for yourself. Check for your neighbors. My thanks to the media for helping to get the word out and my thanks to good neighbors like the man who called Mary Ann Borch,” Wilson said.