TOPEKA — While people across the state and nation hurry to get their taxes filed by the April 15th deadline next week, Kansas State Treasurer Jake LaTurner hopes to use the dreaded tax deadline to connect Kansans with money they didn’t know they had.

Starting at 6 a.m. Monday morning on Tax Day, April 15, LaTurner and staff will launch a Tax Day Giveaway event. This awareness campaign is meant to drive Kansans to the State Treasurer’s website www.kansascash.ks.gov to search through the over $350-million dollars in unclaimed property just waiting to be claimed by its rightful owner. This is money and property that belongs to Kansans that for one reason or another has never been claimed. It can be anything from an unclaimed utility deposit, an uncashed payroll check, or the contents of a loved one’s safety deposit box.

“Our office is hard at work year round trying to return this money to Kansans. This time of year when people might be getting surprised by money they owe to Uncle Sam, we’d like to give them the opportunity to hopefully be surprised by money coming back to them that they didn’t even know they were missing,” said LaTurner. “We encourage everyone to go online and search for themselves or someone they know.”

LaTurner’s office returned over $26.5 million dollars in unclaimed property to Kansans in 2018 and are on track to beat that record in 2019. Property can easily be searched for using a person’s first and last name. Many claims can be filed online, and the State Treasurer’s office now also has the option to pay claims by direct deposit, making the process faster and easier.