Many income tax refunds are still in the hands of the IRS, not the taxpayers to whom the money is owed. The reason is that people move or that the IRS has outdated or incorrect addresses and the refund checks have been returned as undeliverable.

If you think the IRS owes you money, here's what to do.

Go to www.irs.gov On the homepage there's a link entitled, "Where's My Refund?" under the heading, online tools. You'll need your social security number, your filing status and the refund amount exactly as it's shown on your tax return. Otherwise the IRS' computer system can't retrieve your data.

If you don't have access to the internet, call the IRS at 1-800-828-1040.

Here's another quick tip to prevent income tax identity theft! Don't respond to any email solicitation purporting to be from the IRS. There are scams afoot that claim you're owed an IRS refund that just want personal information to steal your identity.

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