The Internal Revenue Service is looking for 27 local taxpayers, and it’s to tell them some good news.

In Buchanan County, the IRS has been unable to deliver refund checks to 27 taxpayers, totaling $29,026, for an average refund of $1,075. Another 32 taxpayers in other counties in Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas are being sought by the IRS.

The agency announced the taxpayers’ names Thursday. The checks were returned by the U.S. Postal Service due to mailing address errors.

“It’s their money. If they act now, they could get their checks before Christmas,” said Michael Devine, an IRS spokesman in St. Louis.

Only a small percentage of checks are returned as undeliverable.

In Missouri, there are unclaimed refund checks totaling nearly $1 million for more than 1,357 taxpayers. Nationally, 107,831 taxpayers are due to receive a combined $124 million in returned refund checks.

The IRS says some taxpayers are due more than one check. In order to claim a refund, a taxpayer must only update his or her address with the IRS.

Ahmad Safi can be reached at ahmadsafi@npgco.com.