Legal Matters

• unredeemed gift certificates and gift cards;
• uncashed refund and rebate checks;
• uncashed checks payable to vendors or employees;
• stored value cards with remaining balances; and
• buyer rewards programs.

With gift card sales becoming increasingly attractive to both multichannel merchants and consumers, the economic implications of escheat laws are growing. Moreover, with heightened financial scrutiny resulting from the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, many accounting firms now require their clients to account for unclaimed property liability on financial statements.