Hundreds still owed money by IRS

If you didn't get your tax refund or economic stimulus check, the Internal Revenue Service could be looking for you.

The IRS is sitting on $1.37 million owed to more than 1,400 taxpayers in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties for tax refunds or stimulus payments that were returned by the U.S. Postal Service.

They are part of the 383,000 U.S. taxpayers due $266 million who failed to get their checks this year because of mailing address errors.

"People across the country are missing tax refunds and stimulus checks. We want to get this money into the hands of taxpayers where it belongs," IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said recently.

For stimulus checks, taxpayers have until Nov. 28 to update their addresses with the IRS. Those checks must be mailed by Dec. 31.

For regular tax refunds, checks will be sent as soon as new addresses are provided.

In Sarasota, 139 taxpayers are owed $494,083 in tax refunds, an average of $3,555. Another 413 taxpayers are due $248,732 in stimulus payments.

In Manatee, 154 taxpayers have $194,373 in refunds coming, an average of $1,262. Another 522 are owed a total of $310,470 under the stimulus program.

In Charlotte, the IRS is looking for 45 taxpayers to return $45,755, a $1,017 average. Another 144 are owed $84,229 in stimulus checks.

Statewide, 9,229 taxpayers are owed $12.99 million in tax refunds, while 29,827 taxpayers have $16.82 million coming.

The government distributed 116 million economic stimulus payments this year, and about 279,000 were returned as undeliverable. The IRS issued more than 105 million tax refunds, and 104,000 came back.

Taxpayers can visit the IRS Web site, www.irs.gov, to check on their refunds or stimulus payments and learn how to update their addresses. Those without Internet access can call (866) 234-2942 to ask about stimulus payments, or (800) 829-1954 for refunds.

A list of all taxpayers owed money in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte is available by clicking on the links with this column.

Not everyone wants money

While dozens of banks line up for federal bailout money, Marc Stefanski of Third Federal Savings and Loan offers a resounding "No thanks."

Cleveland-based Third Federal, which has an office in Sarasota, doesn't need any of the funds from the federal capital purchase program to make loans, Stefanski said.

"We've got money for mortgages -- we've always had money," he said.

He said customers don't expect him to use taxpayers' dollars to run his business. "We should be able to generate our own funds," he said.

Third Federal sells basic savings and mortgage products, and did not stray into the risky commercial lending that has brought down other banks.

The $10 billion-asset S&L has 15 offices in Florida and plans to open three more in Broward County.

Penix joins Wachovia

Richard A. Penix has joined Wachovia Wealth Management as regional director for Manatee, Sarasota, Lee and Collier counties.

Penix has 32 years of financial services experience, most recently as Southwest Florida market executive for Premier Banking & Investments at Bank of America. He will be based in Naples.

Wachovia Wealth Management serves clients with $10 million in net worth and/or $5 million to $50 million in investable assets.