Hundreds of tax refunds unclaimed on LI

More than 1,200 Long Island residents have yet to claim federal tax refunds, officials said, in urging people to contact the Internal Revenue Service to determine if they fit into the category.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that 425 Nassau County taxpayers are owed an average of $2,178 each, and 803 taxpayers in Suffolk are owed an average refund of $3,626. Unclaimed refunds — of which there are 100,000 nationwide — are most commonly due to the IRS not having a recipient’s current address.

Schumer pointed constituents to his website to find a link to the IRS’ “Where’s My Refund?” portal.

“A few minutes of Web surfing could mean big savings,” he said in a statement.

People may also check their status by calling the IRS at 800-829-1954. To speed up delivery of future tax refunds, the senator also suggested that taxpayers next year use the IRS’ e-file system, which allows an electronic direct deposit of funds into a personal bank account.