Refunds on airline ticket taxes (maybe)
It may not be easy to get your money back. Credit: Fotolia
The IRS says people who bought airline tickets on or after July 23, and are traveling now, are entitled to a refund on federal taxes -- but how easy it will be to get the money back is up in the air.
The refunds are due because Congress let the taxes expire after a recent budget showdown effectively shut down the Federal Aviation Administration. Until things are resolved, airlines can't collect the taxes on tickets sold after July 23, and the government isn't authorized to collect the taxes on tickets sold before that time for those traveling during the shutdown period.
The IRS is asking airlines to handle the refund process, but they aren't required to, and most are directing customers directly to the IRS, which is still working on a procedure to handle refunds (details at www.irs.gov).
Several types of federal taxes include a 7.5 percent excise tax on tickets expired, but others are still being collected, including fees for passenger security and local airport construction projects.
