One billion tax rebates. Millions of people have not applied for the 1 billion tax rebates in 2008

One billion people have not applied for the 1 billion tax rebates in 2008 (Alberta Times) The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that approximately 100 people who did not file 2008 federal income taxes...

1 Billion Tax Refunds Millions Did Not Claim in 2008 (Alberta Times) The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that approximately 1 million taxpayers who did not file 2008 federal income tax returns may be eligible for federal tax refunds totaling more than $1 billion. To receive a tax refund, you must submit your 2008 income tax return before April 17 this year. The IRS estimates that more than half of tax refund recipients received more than $600 in 2008. Reasons for not being able to get a refund include the fact that some people avoid the hassle because their income is too low to meet the amount they must file, but they actually have payroll withholdings or pay quarterly estimated taxes and are eligible for a refund. Under tax law, taxpayers have a three-year grace period to claim the refund they deserve if they fail to file an income tax return. If no relevant income tax return is filed within three years to claim a tax refund, the tax refund will be forfeited. For the 2008 income tax return, the deadline for requesting a tax refund is April 17, 2012. According to law, taxpayers must fill out the tax form, write the correct address and mail it to the IRS. The postmark date must be no later than April 17. There is no penalty for filing income tax after the due date in order to obtain a refund. The IRS also reminds taxpayers who want to apply for a 2008 tax refund that if they fail to file their 2009 and 2010 income tax returns, their tax refund checks may be temporarily withheld. In addition, if the taxpayer owes the IRS tax, the refund will be used against it. The refund will also be used to offset unpaid child support payments or past federal loan debt (such as student loans). If you fail to file your 2008 income tax, you may not only lose the withheld tax refund, but you may also lose other tax benefits. Some people who did not receive the 2008 stimulus tax refund may be eligible for the Recovery Rebate Credit if they file. In addition, many low- and moderate-income workers may not have applied for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which helps individuals and families whose income falls below certain thresholds. If you need tax forms and explanations for this year and past years, you can request them from the Forms and Publications page of the IRS website, IRS.gov, or call toll-free 800-829-3676.