More than $30,000 in refunds and economic stimulus payments from the Internal Revenue Service have not reached nearly 50 Tooele County residents — and the clock is ticking for those wanting to get their money this year.

Twenty-nine people in the county have not received their 2008 economic stimulus payment checks. The average check in the county was $679, for a countywide sum of $19,684 unclaimed. The average check statewide was $587 and the nationwide average was $583.

There are also 18 people who had undeliverable tax refunds in the county, with an average refund of $699, making for a total of $12,584 unclaimed.

Statewide, the Internal Revenue Service has $2,223,858 in undeliverable refund and economic stimulus payments for 3,234 Utahns.

In Tooele County, most of those who have not received their economic stimulus or refund checks are from Tooele City, while a few others are from Dugway, Wendover, Grantsville and Ibapah.

Raphael Tulino, a spokesman for the IRS in Nevada, said taxpayers are missing their economic stimulus and refund checks generally because of mailing address errors.

Bill Brunson, IRS spokesman for Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah, said once a taxpayer updates his or her address, the IRS will send out the checks that are due.

“Provide the IRS with the current mailing address and we can start the re-issuance process,” he said.

Taxpayers still waiting for their economic stimulus check need to update their address with the IRS by Nov. 28 in order to receive their money this year.

“The reason why Nov. 28 is there is because by law the IRS cannot issue any more economic stimulus checks after Dec. 31, so if we get the information at the latest by Nov. 28, that would ensure the IRS will be able to process that and send the check before the deadline,” Tulino said.

If a taxpayer misses that deadline, they can file for a recovery rebate credit next year when filing a tax return.

“If you have an updated address at that time, it’ll kick out the payment,” he said. “You’re making the change now to ensure you get this money here in 2008. Otherwise there will be a chance to do it in 2009.”

Taxpayers can visit IRS.gov and look for the “Where’s my Stimulus Payment?” tool to check the status of their check and receive instructions on how to update their address. Those without access to the Internet can call 1-866-234-2942.

Tulino said some checks may have been returned as undeliverable by the U.S. Postal Service because a part of the taxpayer’s name — for example, an initial rather than a full middle name — didn’t match up in the IRS and Postal Service records. If that’s the case, even if a taxpayer changed their address, the difference in the name could cause an undeliverable check.

Tulino said to use the exact same name on the tax forms as on the change-of-address forms with the Postal Service.

For those taxpayers waiting for their regular refund checks, they can also visit the same Web site to check the status of their refund. Or they can call 1-800-829-1954.

According to the IRS, only a very small percentage — less than 1 percent — of refund or stimulus checks were undeliverable. Up through September, 116 million economic stimulus payments were distributed, with only 279,000 being undeliverable. More than 105 million regular refunds were distributed with 104,000 being undeliverable.

The IRS encourages taxpayers to use direct deposit when filing returns because it prevents checks from becoming lost, stolen or undeliverable.

“No matter where your address is, the money just shows up in your account,” Tulino said. “In the future, to avoid being on the undelivered list, just kick the paper habit and choose to do it electronically. It makes it so much more convenient.”

Sarah Miley: swest@tooeletranscript.com The following is a list of people in Tooele County who are missing economic stimulus payments or refunds:

Jeffrey Allen, Tooele

Dan C. Anderson, Tooele

Bonnie J. Bagley, Tooele

Justin A. and Alesha I Sevy Baldwin, Tooele

Justin and Kelli A. Baldwin, Tooele

Mikel J. Bettinson, Tooele

Teresa Cardenas, Wendover,

Thutchai Chaidaroon, Tooele

Daniel C. Chartier, Tooele

Brent C. and Rebecca F. Christensen, Tooele

Billy H. Christian, Tooele

Jason W. Clark, Tooele

Herbert U. and Tammie S. Cortezz, Dugway

Richard and Leslie A. Felton Denson, Tooele

Josephine C. Erichson, Tooele

Jeremy J. Ericson, Tooele

Juan F. Garcia, Tooele

Iris I. Gillen, Tooele

Paul A. and June F. Goodwin, Tooele

Marcus T. Gressman, Tooele

Payton Greymountain, Ibapah

Jane E. Hammond, Tooele

Stefanie Hensel, Tooele

Anthony L. Jacobs, Tooele

Joshua W. Krish, Tooele

Benjamine E. Lee, Tooele

Russell B and Pamela S. Munr Melancon, Tooele

D J Miller, Tooele

Shelly L. Moody, Grantsville

Noe Naranjo, Tooele

Kathleen Ogden, Tooele

Chad A. Ortega, Tooele

Renita P. Ortiz, Tooele

Frank. M. Paulich, Grantsville

Heather L. Pearson, Tooele

Haley R. Preston, Tooele

Jose A. Razo, Tooele

Sammee J. Ruesch, Tooele

Berniece Russell, Tooele

Tiffani J. Smith, Tooele

Margo E. Sterzer-Smith, Tooele

Frederick Stuckman, Tooele

Amanda D. Uria, Tooele,

Ana L. Verdugo

Andrew T. and Brittney Y. Weaver, Tooele

Mike P. Winkelaar, Tooele