How To Claim Your Louisiana State Tax Refund Before It's Gone

A letter arriving in a Louisiana mailbox could be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The Louisiana Department of Revenue says more than $17.5 million in unclaimed state tax refunds is waiting for nearly 23,000 individual and business taxpayers.

Those who received a Notice of Unclaimed Property letter dated July 24 have until September 4, 2026, to respond directly to the department.

For residents in Shreveport, Bossier City and communities across Northwest Louisiana, this is one piece of mail that deserves a careful look. The notice means the state is holding a refund that has not been claimed.

How Louisiana Taxpayers Can Claim Their Refund

Taxpayers who received the letter have two options. They can visit the Louisiana Department of Revenue’s Unclaimed Refund webpage and provide the requested information through the secure Louisiana Taxpayer Access Point portal. They can also complete the voucher attached to the letter and return it to the department.

The Department of Revenue says approved claims submitted electronically or through the mailed voucher will be paid by paper check. Taxpayers should follow the directions in the notice and make sure their mailing information is current.

This process is specifically for taxpayers who received the July 24 notice. Not receiving a letter does not necessarily mean someone has no other unclaimed property.

What Happens After the September Deadline?

The September 4 deadline does not mean taxpayers permanently lose their money. Refunds that remain unclaimed will be transferred to the Unclaimed Property Division of the Louisiana State Treasurer’s Office, as required by state law.

Once that transfer takes place, taxpayers must claim the funds through the Treasurer’s unclaimed property program rather than directly through the Department of Revenue. That adds another step, making it easier to respond before the deadline when possible.

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Louisiana’s unclaimed property program holds more than tax refunds. It also receives abandoned financial assets such as uncashed checks, unpaid wages, forgotten bank accounts, insurance payments and securities. The Treasurer’s Office says one in six Louisiana residents has unclaimed property, with more than $1 billion currently waiting to be claimed.

The best advice is to read the notice carefully, verify that it came from the Louisiana Department of Revenue and use the official state website listed in the letter. A few minutes of attention could reunite thousands of Louisiana taxpayers with money that already belongs to them.