New, Sensible Approach Uses Technology to Identify Unclaimed Property Owners Based on Recent Tax Filings

The State’s new MONEY MATCH program automatically returns lost money to Delaware taxpayers without the usual need to file a claim or gather paperwork, Delaware State Escheator, Brenda Mayrack announced today. This is the second time Delaware has completed the Money Match program. In February 2021, Delaware mailed checks to more than 19,000 people, returning over $3 million back to its rightful owners. In September 2021, Delaware will be mailing checks to over 6,500 additional people, and returning over $900,000 back to its rightful owners. 

“We developed MONEY MATCH to make it as easy as possible for many Delaware taxpayers to get their missing money back in their pockets where it belongs,” said Brenda Mayrack. “After the challenges of the last eighteen months, we know many Delaware families benefit greatly when they can recover their unclaimed property automatically, based on their most recent state tax filing.”

MONEY MATCH matches the state’s unclaimed property database with verified address and taxpayer information so that money can be returned it its rightful owners automatically and without requiring the filing of a claim and supporting documentation. In many cases, individuals might not be aware they were missing unclaimed property until the check arrives in the mail.

More information about MONEY MATCH is available at https://unclaimedproperty.delaware.gov/app/claim/money-match.

Unclaimed property can include money left in old bank accounts, uncashed paychecks, unused balances on gift certificates, unreturned utility deposits, uncollected insurance payments, and forgotten stocks and dividends. Businesses are required to turn over these amounts to States after a certain number of years if contact is lost between the holder of the property and the property owner.

While MONEY MATCH automatically reunites many Delaware taxpayers with their unclaimed property, all Delawareans are still encouraged to visit unclaimedproperty.delaware.gov to see if the State is holding their unclaimed property.

 

###