# What money am I owed? > Deposits, refunds, delayed pay and tax you can still claim — plus the letter to send. URL: https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/en/money-you-are-owed/ Language: English (en) ## The problem Billions sit unclaimed every year because claiming needs the right words to the right address before a deadline nobody announced. Who it hits: Nearly everyone, without knowing it. ### The shapes it takes - Flight delayed, cancelled, overbooked - Deposit not returned - Refund refused - Tax overpaid - Dormant accounts and insurance - Wages and expenses unpaid ### What this page gives you What you are owed, and the letter that claims it. ## What money is it? Nothing you type here is sent anywhere. ## What you can claim, and how ### A delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight - EU261: €250 for flights under 1,500 km; €400 for 1,500 to 3,500 km, and for flights within the EU over 1,500 km; €600 over 3,500 km (€300 if 3 to 4 hours late). - UK261: £220, £350 and £520 for the same distances (£260 if 3 to 4 hours late on a long flight). - Canada (APPR), large airlines: CAD 400 for 3 to 6 hours late, CAD 700 for 6 to 9, CAD 1,000 for 9 or more; small airlines: CAD 125, 250 and 500. - Refused boarding: CAD 900 if you arrive less than 6 hours late, CAD 1,800 for 6 to 9 hours, CAD 2,400 for 9 hours or more. - Refused boarding against your will: 200% of the one-way fare (up to $1,075) if you arrive 1 to 2 hours late (1 to 4 hours internationally), 400% (up to $2,150) beyond that. **EU and nearby (EU261)** - Compensation is due when you arrive 3 hours or more late, or your flight is cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or you're refused boarding — unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. - Whatever the cause, the airline must also offer a refund or another flight, and meals and a hotel while you wait. - Time limit: Set by each country — often several years. Claim as soon as you can, while you still have the boarding pass. **United Kingdom (UK261)** - The same rules as the EU, in pounds: compensation for 3+ hours late, late cancellations and overbooking — unless the cause was extraordinary. - The airline must also offer a refund or another flight, and meals and a hotel while you wait. - Time limit: Up to 6 years in England and Wales, 5 in Scotland. **Canada (APPR)** - Compensation is due when the cause was within the airline's control and not needed for safety, and you arrive 3 hours or more late. - Claim from the airline first; it must answer within 30 days. Still no? Complain to the Canadian Transportation Agency. - Time limit: One year from the flight. **United States (DOT)** - US law gives no cash compensation for delays — but a cancelled flight, or a change of 3 hours or more (6 for international flights) that you decline, must be refunded in cash. - The refund is due within 7 business days on a card, 20 days otherwise. Airlines also refund bag fees when a checked bag is badly delayed. - Time limit: The refund should come by itself — if it hasn't within the time above, claim it now. **Elsewhere (Montreal Convention)** - On international flights, the Montreal Convention lets you claim proven costs caused by a delay (meals, hotel, missed bookings), up to 6,303 SDR — about US$8,000. - Check the airline's own conditions of carriage: many offer vouchers or refunds of their own. - Time limit: Under the Montreal Convention, any court claim must start within 2 years. ### A delayed, cancelled or overbooked flight 1. Keep your boarding pass, booking confirmation and any messages about the delay. 2. Claim directly from the airline, on its own claim form — you don't need a claims company, and they keep up to a third. 3. Ask for meals, hotel and transport receipts to be paid back too. - European Union: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm - GB: https://www.caa.co.uk - CA: https://rppa-appr.ca - CA: https://otc-cta.gc.ca - US: https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer ### Lost, delayed or damaged baggage 1. Report it at the airport before you leave, and get the reference (a property irregularity report). 2. Keep receipts for what you had to buy while the bag was missing. 3. Send your written claim in time: 7 days for damage, 21 days from delivery for a delayed bag. - International flights (Montreal Convention): the airline pays proven loss up to 1,519 SDR per passenger — about US$2,000. - A bag missing for 21 days counts as lost. ### A delayed or cancelled train 1. Keep your ticket and note the arrival time. 2. Claim on the rail company's own website or form. - European Union: EU rail rules: 25% of the ticket price back if you arrive 60 to 119 minutes late, 50% from 120 minutes — unless it was severe weather or another event outside the railway's control. Strikes don't count as an excuse. The railway must pay within a month of your claim. - GB: Most train companies pay Delay Repay from 15 or 30 minutes late — claim on the operator's website. - European Union: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/rail/index_en.htm ### A rental deposit not returned 1. Ask for the deposit back in writing, with your new address and bank details. 2. Compare the move-out and move-in reports and photos: normal wear and tear can't be charged. 3. Ask for a written list of any deductions, with receipts. - FR: The landlord must return the deposit within 1 month if the move-out report matches the move-in one, 2 months otherwise. Late? Add 10% of the monthly rent (without charges) for each month started late. - DE: The deposit is usually returned within 3 to 6 months; part can be held back until the service-charge bill is settled. - GB: Your landlord must protect the deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and return it within 10 days of agreeing the amount. Not protected? A court can order the landlord to pay you up to three times the deposit. - GB: https://www.gov.uk/tenancy-deposit-protection - FR: https://www.service-public.fr ### A refund for something returned or cancelled 1. Find the proof you returned it or cancelled — the tracking number, the email. 2. Ask the seller in writing for the refund, with the date you returned or cancelled. 3. Paid by card and still nothing? Ask your bank for a chargeback. - European Union: Cancelled within your 14-day right to withdraw? The seller must refund you within 14 days, including the standard delivery cost. - GB: Cancelled within 14 days of an online or phone purchase? The seller must refund you within 14 days. - GB: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk - US: https://www.consumerfinance.gov ### A double charge or overcharge 1. Check your bank app for both charges — some are only holds that disappear by themselves in a few days. 2. Ask the company in writing to refund the extra charge. 3. No answer within two weeks? Ask your bank to dispute it. - US: Dispute a credit card billing error within 60 days of the statement it appeared on. ### Unpaid wages or final pay 1. Write down what you're owed, with your payslips, contract and hours. 2. Ask your employer in writing, with a date to pay by. 3. No payment: contact your country's labour authority or employment tribunal — often free. - FR: Unpaid salary can be claimed for 3 years. The labour inspectorate and the labour court (prud'hommes) can help. - DE: Check your contract for a short claim deadline — often just 3 months. Otherwise, 3 years from the end of the year it was due. - GB: Talk to Acas first (it's required before a tribunal). An unpaid-wages claim must usually start within 3 months less one day. - US: The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division takes complaints; federal wage claims have a 2-year limit (3 if the violation was wilful). Many states have their own labor office too. - AU: The Fair Work Ombudsman (below) helps recover unpaid wages — free. - US: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd - GB: https://www.acas.org.uk - AU: https://www.fairwork.gov.au - FR: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr ### A tax refund 1. Check whether you paid too much: a job that ended mid-year, two jobs, work expenses. 2. File a return, or a claim, for each year you overpaid — many countries let you go back several years. - FR: You can ask for a correction until 31 December of the second year after the tax was set. - DE: A voluntary tax return can be filed up to 4 years back — ELSTER (below). - GB: You can claim back overpaid tax for up to 4 years. - US: A refund claim must be filed within 3 years of the original return (or 2 years of paying the tax). - CA: You can ask for refunds of overpaid tax for up to 10 previous years. - AU: Most people can amend a tax return within 2 years. - GB: https://www.gov.uk/claim-tax-refund - US: https://www.irs.gov/refunds - FR: https://www.impots.gouv.fr - DE: https://www.elster.de - CA: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency.html - AU: https://www.ato.gov.au ### Forgotten money — old accounts, insurance, shares 1. Search the official unclaimed money site for your country (below) with every name and address you've had. 2. Never pay anyone to search for you — the official searches are free. - FR: Ciclade (below) lists money from dormant bank accounts and unclaimed life insurance — the search is free. - GB: My Lost Account (below) searches old bank, building society and National Savings accounts — free. - US: Each state holds unclaimed money; MissingMoney (below) searches most states at once — free. - CA: The Bank of Canada holds balances from accounts left untouched for 10 years — search them free (below). - AU: ASIC's Moneysmart search (below) covers unclaimed bank accounts, shares and life insurance — there's no time limit to claim. - US: https://www.missingmoney.com - US: https://unclaimed.org - GB: https://www.mylostaccount.org.uk - FR: https://ciclade.caissedesdepots.fr - CA: https://www.unclaimedproperties.bankofcanada.ca - AU: https://moneysmart.gov.au/find-unclaimed-money ### A cancelled holiday package or event 1. Ask the seller for a refund in writing — you don't have to accept a voucher when the seller cancelled. 2. Paid by card and no refund? Ask your bank for a chargeback. - European Union: A cancelled package holiday must be refunded in full within 14 days. - GB: A cancelled package holiday must be refunded within 14 days. - GB: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk ## If they refuse 1. Ask for the refusal in writing, with the exact reason. 2. Write again, once, quoting the rule — the letter below does it. 3. Still no: take it to the official complaints body or ombudsman for that country (below), or to a small-claims court. 4. Paid by card? Your bank may be able to reverse the payment (a chargeback) — ask soon, there are time limits. ## Language - [English](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/en/money-you-are-owed/) · [Markdown](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/en/money-you-are-owed/index.md) - [العربية](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/ar/money-you-are-owed/) · [Markdown](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/ar/money-you-are-owed/index.md) - [Deutsch](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/de/money-you-are-owed/) · [Markdown](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/de/money-you-are-owed/index.md) - [Español](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/es/money-you-are-owed/) · [Markdown](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/es/money-you-are-owed/index.md) - [Français](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/fr/money-you-are-owed/) · [Markdown](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/fr/money-you-are-owed/index.md) - [हिन्दी](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/hi/money-you-are-owed/) · [Markdown](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/hi/money-you-are-owed/index.md) - [Bahasa Indonesia](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/id/money-you-are-owed/) · [Markdown](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/id/money-you-are-owed/index.md) - [日本語](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/ja/money-you-are-owed/) · [Markdown](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/ja/money-you-are-owed/index.md) - [한국어](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/ko/money-you-are-owed/) · [Markdown](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/ko/money-you-are-owed/index.md) - [Português](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/pt-BR/money-you-are-owed/) · [Markdown](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/pt-BR/money-you-are-owed/index.md) - [Русский](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/ru/money-you-are-owed/) · [Markdown](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/ru/money-you-are-owed/index.md) - [Türkçe](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/tr/money-you-are-owed/) · [Markdown](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/tr/money-you-are-owed/index.md) - [Tiếng Việt](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/vi/money-you-are-owed/) · [Markdown](https://allproblemssolved.aplusz.app/vi/money-you-are-owed/index.md)