I heard that the IRS has billions of dollars from 2004 tax refunds that people need to claim before April 15, 2008. What does that mean? Also, how do I find out when I'm getting my 2007 refund and rebate money?

The IRS recently announced that it still has $1.2 billion waiting for people who have not filed a 2004 tax return. A lot of that money is for people who had taxes withheld from their paychecks but didn't earn enough money to require filing a tax return (often the case with teenage workers, for example). And many low-income people who qualify for the earned-income tax credit don't realize that they'll get money back if the credit is more than the tax they owe.

There's no penalty for filing late if you don't owe taxes. But you only have three years after the original due date to file a return and get your refund money. That three years will be over on April 15, 2008, for people who didn't file a 2004 tax return. The IRS estimates that half of the people who could still claim refunds for the 2004 tax year would receive more than $552 each.

People who didn't file a return in 2005, 2006 or 2007 can do that any time now, too. They have up to three years after the original filing deadline to claim their refunds. For more information, including details about who qualified for the 2004 earned income tax credit, see the information sheet at the IRS Web site. You can also find the 1040 forms and instructions from 2004 at the IRS Web site (type "2004 1040" in the search box) or by calling 800-TAX-FORM.

For this year's return, you can check the status of your refund by using the “Where's My Refund?” tool. You can check the status of your 2007 refund as early as seven days after you file electronically, or four to six weeks after filing a paper return.

You'll need to enter your Social Security number, tax-filing status, and the exact amount of the refund shown on your return. Go directly to the IRS site to fill in the information; never click on an e-mail that mysteriously tells you about a refund you weren't expecting. That's a common scam. The IRS will never send you an e-mail letting you know about a refund and would never ask for your credit-card or bank account number. Read Delete the IRS for more information about this tax-refund scam.

If your 2007 return is filed and processed by April 15, then you'll get your rebate check within the next few months, too. People who have their 2007 refunds deposited directly into their bank accounts will get their rebates deposited electronically from May 2 to May 16.

For people who file a paper return, the checks will be mailed from May 16 to July 11, depending on the last two digits of your Social Security number. If you file jointly, the timing of your rebate will be based on the Social Security number of the first spouse listed on the return. See the IRS's schedule for when you'll receive your rebate.

Keep in mind that the IRS says that the return has to be filed and processed by April 15 to get your rebate on that schedule. If you file at the last minute, your rebate check may arrive a little later.

For help figuring out how much of a rebate to expect, see our rebate calculator. Read my Will You Get a Tax Rebate? and More Tax Rebate Answers columns for more information about the rebates.

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