(WWJ) -- A recent report from the IRS shows that over 1.25 million of first-round stimulus checks went uncashed across the country, amounting to an estimated $2.1 billion in unclaimed payments.
In Michigan alone, 46,140 checks went unclaimed, according to information obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by Newsweek.
Michigan’s percentage comes in fourth for highest per capita in the country, behind Montana, Vermont and Pennsylvania.
When the CARES Act was passed in March of 2020, the first round of stimulus checks provided qualified Americans with $1,200 per adult and $500 for children 17 and under.
According to the IRS, approximately 160 million checks were sent out in that round using information from qualified Americans' latest tax returns. Since then, two other rounds of stimulus checks have been issued, though information on how many of those checks went unclaimed wasn't included in the report.
"It's hard for anyone to know why some people didn't cash their checks or returned them," Shai Akabas, director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said in a statement to Newsweek. "There are actually some people who make donations to pay down the federal debt out of the goodness of their heart. And some people really don't want an ounce of government in their lives."
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Other reasons checks have gone uncashed or been returned could include clerical errors, such as a check being sent to a person the IRS didn’t realize was deceased, or to a home where a recipient no longer lives.
Those who haven’t received stimulus payments but think they may have been eligible for any of the three rounds can head to the IRS website to find out more information.