By Brian Gilliland

DOVER — The Delaware Office of Unclaimed Property announced its intention to return over $364,000 in unclaimed property directly to approximately 2,700 Delaware taxpayers through the annual MONEY MATCH program, which begins every year during the second week of September.

The agency said eligible taxpayers will receive a check in the mail for their unclaimed property – without having to file a claim – based on a data match with their most recent personal income tax return.

This is the fifth year of Delaware’s MONEY MATCH program, which has returned over $5 million to over 40,000 Delaware taxpayers, the agency said.

“MONEY MATCH demonstrates how state government is using technology, not only to operate more efficiently, but to return money directly to thousands of Delaware taxpayers without requiring any action on their part – except to cash the check,” Brenda R. Mayrack, director of the Delaware office of unclaimed property said in a release.

Unclaimed property can include money left in old bank accounts, uncashed paychecks, unused balances on gift certificates, unreturned utility deposits, uncollected insurance payments, and forgotten stocks and dividends, the agency reported. By law, businesses are required to turn over these amounts to states if contact is lost between the holder of the property and the property owner.