Getting a Tax Refund, Even If You Didn't Have to Legally File

If you worked part-time, full time or just a fewin business. He will keep your refund if you let him.
weeks and your Employer withheld FederalEvery year the IRS keeps millions and millions of
Taxes, you more then likely can be refundeddollars because people just won't take the time
your withheld payroll taxes.and file a simple tax return.
Millions of seniors, students, housewives andMr. X, we will call him, was disabled and worked
disabled taxpayers don't legally have to file apart-time for a city agency. He did not earn very
return, however, if they did, they could benefitmuch and he, his wife, and 2 children lived a very
more then they could ever imagine.modest life. He never earned a lot from year to
The IRS is NOT going to send you a notice sayingyear, and he lived in a state where his low income
that they owe you a refund. To my knowledge,was sufficient enough to get by on.
this does not happen.Another disabled associated informed him that he
The IRS will prepare what they call a substitutewas missing the boat by not filing his taxes, even
return for you and if the substitute return showsthough he had called the IRS and was told that he
that you owe taxes, you will get a letter in thedid not have to file.
mail. If it looks like the IRS owes you, usually,Mr. X wanted the stimulus check, but could not
nothing is said.get the payment unless he filed his 2007 tax
Well, that's not exactly true.return.
Some where around February or March of eachThe tax credit for being permanently disabled and
year, the IRS releases a press release saying thatthe child tax credit for the two minor children plus
they have an enormous amount of refundsthe small amount of withholding, increased his
available for non-filers. The press release goes onrefund to over $14,800 for 3 years. The refund
to say that if the taxpayer does not file a returnamount did not include the stimulus amendment,
by April 15, they could loose their refund from 3so Mr. X was truly happy.
years back. There is a 3 year window.This is not an isolated incident, this happens all the
No, this press release isn't on the front page oftime and since the IRS, usually, won't contact a
any major newspaper and why should it be?taxpayer who is owed a refund, nothing is said.
Regardless of what you might think, Uncle Sam is