There are an estimated 132,800 Californians who have not claimed federal income tax refunds because they did not file a tax return in 2017.

The IRS figures the average refund is $833 and those could total $130 million.

Some taxpayers avoided filing because of unpaid child support or past due federal debts, such as student loans. Others didn’t collect a refund because they didn’t file tax returns for 2018 or 2019.

There is a 3-year window to claim a tax refund. The deadline for the 2017 refund closes May 17th, 2021. For those who don’t, the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury.

Story Date: April 27, 2021