The Internal Revenue Service says an estimated 16,000 Alabama taxpayers who did not file a federal income tax refund in 2009 may have more than $13 million in refunds awaiting them.
The IRS estimates that half of the potential refunds will exceed $565 each.
An IRS spokesman says taxpayers seeking a refund must file a 2009 tax return by April 15, or it's too late. That's because any return seeking a refund must be filed within three years of the original deadline or the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury.
There is no penalty for filing a late return that qualifies for a refund. But the IRS says a 2009 refund may be held if taxpayers have not filed tax returns for 2010 and 2011.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.