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IRS has $7 million in refunds for Georgians
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The Internal Revenue Service is looking for more than 4,700 Georgia taxpayers who are due refund checks worth more than a total of $7 million.
The checks were returned to the IRS by the U.S. Postal Service due to mailing address errors.
“In Georgia, the average undeliverable refund is $1,522,” said Mark S. Green, IRS spokesman for Georgia. “Last year, the average was $1,233. We’d like to get this money back to taxpayers as quickly as possible. All we need is an updated address and we can reissue the check.”
A taxpayer only needs to update his or her address once for the IRS to send out all checks due. Undeliverable refund check average $1,471 in 2010, compared to $1,148 in 2009. Some taxpayers are due more than one check.
Nationwide, 111,893 refunds totaling $164.6 million were returned to the IRS. The average dollar amount for returned refunds rose by almost 22 percent last year, possibly due to recent changes in tax law that introduced new credits or expanded existing credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Green said refund checks go astray for various reasons. Many times it’s because a life change – such as a marriage or divorce – causes an address change. If a taxpayer moves and does not notify the IRS or Postal Service, a check sent to the last known address is returned to the IRS.
If a refund check is returned to the IRS as undeliverable, taxpayers can generally update their address with the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on IRS.gov. The tool also enables taxpayers to check the status of their refunds. Taxpayers can also use a telephone version of “Where’s My Refund?” by calling 1-800-829-1954.
While only a small percentage of checks mailed out by the IRS are returned as undeliverable, taxpayers can put an end to lost, stolen or undelivered checks by choosing direct deposit when filing either paper or electronic returns.

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GPA grows trade, market share
Intermodal volume up 20 percent
port photo
Rubber tired gantry cranes handle cargo at the Chatham Intermodal Container Transfer Facility at the Port of Savannah. The Georgia Ports Authority's Mason Mega Rail project will double rail lift capacity to 1 million containers per year by 2020 - photo by Provided

The Georgia Ports Authority achieved 14 percent growth in March container volumes, moving 355,208 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers.

From July 2017 to March, TEU container trade grew by 9 percent, or 255,786 additional units for a total of 3.08 million, a new record for Savannah.

"Savannah's continued strength is a reflection of our customers' commitment, Georgia's leadership, and the many dedicated service providers, GPA employees and ILA members who come together every day to achieve great things," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "March marked our 17th consecutive month of business expansion thanks, in part, to a strong economy and growing market share."

Intermodal rail volumes jumped by 20 percent in March and 15.4 percent for the fiscal year to date, for a total of 318,454 containers handled over nine months – another record for the GPA.

"As the numbers show, our rail cargo is growing at a faster pace than our overall trade," GPA Chairman Jimmy Allgood said. "This is important because rail is playing a key role in our responsible growth strategy. We anticipate our rail infrastructure investments to take 250,000 trucks off the road each year by 2020."

The GPA recently broke ground on its Mason Mega Rail Terminal, on which the Port of Savannah will build 10,000-foot unit trains within its own footprint. From the expanded rail infrastructure at Garden City Terminal, Class I rail providers CSX and Norfolk Southern will provide direct rail service to major Southeast and Midwestern markets from Memphis to St. Louis, Chicago to Cincinnati.

An added benefit is that the Mason Mega Rail project will move all rail switching on terminal – improving vehicle traffic flow around the port.

In August, the GPA will open its Appalachian Regional Port in Murray County. Located in an industrial belt, including the production and export of carpet and flooring, automobiles and tires, the ARP will provide an alternative to all-truck transit to Northwest Georgia.

Each round-trip container moved via the Appalachian Regional Port will offset 710 truck miles on Georgia highways.

March was also a strong month for roll-on/roll-off auto and machinery units at the Port of Brunswick and Ocean Terminal in Savannah. Colonel's Island Terminal in Brunswick handled 66,144 cars, trucks and tractors, while Ocean Terminal added 4,050, for a total 70,194, a 17.2 percent increase.

"The global economy is thriving and our volumes are following suit," Lynch said. "As existing accounts grow their footprint in the expanding auto facility in Brunswick, Georgia's competitive logistical advantages are drawing additional business across all of our docks."

Lynch noted that for the fiscal year to date, Mayor's Point breakbulk terminal in Brunswick grew by 44 percent (34,515 tons) to reach 112,728 tons of forest products. At East River Terminal, bulk cargo expanded by 34 percent July-March (189,918 tons) for a total of 750,384 tons.

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