How to find unclaimed money that the government may be holding for you

The United States government has billions of dollars in unclaimed funds and they make it extremely easy for you to reunite with your lost money. You can visit usa.gov/unclaimed-money to start your search.

Why does the government retain unclaimed money?

If a company or government owes you money and can’t successfully deliver the funds to you after a certain time, they are required to report the funds as unclaimed.

Examples of unclaimed money:

• Tax refunds: returned by mail or rejected by your bank
• Utility company refunds: refunds of payment overages or security deposits
• Bank or credit union refunds: dormant accounts closed with a balance

A comprehensive list of types of lost money and resources to locate your funds can be found at usa.gov/unclaimed-money. Among the list of resources is a link to unclaimed.org, which will allow you to search for lost money in your state. This may be the best place to start your search.