RIVERSIDE (CNS) - Hundreds of Riverside County business owners and residents are owed property tax refunds, and officials today urged taxpayers to check the Office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector's website to find out whether they're on the list of recipients.
According to Treasurer-Tax Collector Jon Christensen, $486,466 in refunds from tax year 2014 and further back is waiting to be claimed.
A total 567 individuals and businesses are listed as eligible to receive the funds, Christensen said. Amounts range from a few dollars to thousands of dollars.
The deadline to file a refund claim is Aug. 1. The Board of Supervisors will vote soon after that date on whether to transfer unclaimed money into the general fund, or extend the claims deadline.
In previous years, the board postponed action on transfers to give prospective recipients additional time to file a claim. In 2017, officials began circulating notices in April about the availability of the unclaimed funds. Board Chairman Kevin Jeffries wanted the effort repeated this year.
Under state law, the county is only obligated to hold unclaimed money for four years before it becomes county property.
According to Christensen, most of the refunds stem from changes in the property tax roll that occurred after a payment had been mailed, resulting in savings to the taxpayer.
When the Office of the Treasurer-Tax Collector sends a refund check and it's returned, it's placed in a holding account.
A complete list of individuals and businesses eligible for refunds can be found at http://www.countytreasurer.org/TaxCollector/UnclaimedMoney/PropertyTaxUnclaimedRefund.aspx.
Information about how to file a claim is available via the same portal.
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