DISTRICT BRIEFING

-- N.C. Aizenman

TELEPHONE TAXES

Nader Urges Public To Seek Refunds

Presidential candidate Ralph Nader passed out information yesterday to District residents about how they can still claim refunds on a now-defunct telephone excise tax.

Nader said he went to low-income neighborhoods in Southeast Washington to hand out application forms for submission to the IRS, making stops at a supermarket, church and a nonprofit health center. He also visited the city's employment agency in Northeast, and had a news conference to promote the refunds just outside The Washington Post.

Many taxpayers sought the refunds on their 2006 tax returns. Those who didn't can still file the paperwork, Nader said. Any individual, business or nonprofit organization that paid federal excise taxes between Feb. 28, 2003, and Aug. 1, 2006, on long-distance or bundled service on landline, wireless, or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service is eligible. The refunds for individuals typically range from $30 to $60, he said.

People with questions can call the IRS customer service line at 1-800-829-1040 or visit http://www.irs.gov for more information.

-- Theola Labbé-DeBose