Could the IRS owe you a federal tax refund?
Seeking Los Angeles and Orange county residents
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—More than 6,600 residents of Los Angeles and Orange counties have federal tax refunds waiting to be claimed, but Internal Revenue Service officials said today they don't know where to send the checks.
"We want to make sure taxpayers get the money owed to them,'' said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. "If you think you are missing a refund, the sooner you update your address information, the quicker you can get your money.''
The checks owed to Los Angeles County residents total $11.38 million and average about $2,145 per refund recipient, according to IRS spokesman Raphael Tulino. He said the unclaimed checks for Orange County residents total $1.66 million and average $1,229 per refund recipient.
Roughly 15,700 Californians have unclaimed refund checks awaiting them, totaling $23.4 million. Some households are owed more than one check.
For whatever reason, the checks that were sent out earlier this year were returned as undeliverable by the U.S. Postal Service. According to the IRS, 99.68 percent of the checks distributed—via mail or direct deposit—made it to their destinations without a hitch.
Taxpayers can check the status of their refund by visiting IRS.gov and selecting the "Where's My Refund'' option, or they can contact the agency at (800) 829-1954.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The owner-operator of a Commerce medical clinic was sentenced to one month behind bars, followed by nine months under home detention, for failing to report to the Internal Revenue Service nearly $90,000 he received as income, prosecutors said today.
Dr. James Lemus, 58, of Shadow Hills was also ordered Monday to pay a fine of $15,000, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Williams.
This year, California will redraw its state and congressional district lines. For the first time in California’s history, the new voter-approved Citizens Redistricting Commission will be charged with the task of redrawing those lines in conformity with strict, nonpartisan rules designed to create districts of relatively equal populations that will provide fair representation for all Californians.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—A senior attorney with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement received a 212-month prison term today for taking nearly $500,000 in bribes from immigrants who were promised benefits allowing them to remain in the United States.
ICE Assistant Chief Counsel Constantine Peter Kallas, 40, of Alta Loma, was also ordered to pay $296,865 in restitution for fraudulently receiving workers' compensation benefits, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—A group headed by the United Way of Greater Los Angeles began a campaign to spread the word that qualified low- and moderate-income families are eligible for a tax credit of up to $5,666 on their 2010 federal income taxes.
The Earned Income Tax Credit "is a vastly under-utilized benefit, with up to 20 percent of eligible taxpayers leaving $250 million in credits on the table," said Elise Buik, president and chief executive of United Way of Greater Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Eight schools in Los Angeles County and four in Orange County were nominated by the California Department of Education to be national blue ribbon schools.
The Los Angeles County nominees are:
• California Academy of Mathematics and Science, Long Beach Unified School District;
• Gertz-Ressler Academy High School, Los Angeles Unified School District;
• Renaissance Arts Academy, Los Angeles Unified School District;
• McGrath Elementary, Newhall School District;
