WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service is looking for 2,667 Hawai'i taxpayers to give them checks totaling more than $2.1 million.

It's the second time the agency has tried to pass on the money — about $1.2 million in economic stimulus checks and $900,000 in income tax refunds to people in Hawai'i.

In the first effort, the IRS sent the checks out to addresses it had on file, but the U.S. Postal Service returned them as undeliverable.

To claim their checks, all taxpayers have to do is update their addresses, said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.

"We want to get this money into the hands of taxpayers, where it belongs," he said. "We are committed to making the process as easy as possible."

Nationwide, more than 279,000 economic stimulus checks totaling about $163 million and more than 104,000 regular tax refund checks totaling about $103 million were returned to the IRS as undeliverable.

The IRS said taxpayers who could be due a stimulus check need to update their addresses with the agency by Nov. 28 because the law requires the checks be sent by Dec. 31. The undeliverable stimulus checks for Hawai'i residents averaged $633.

The regular refund checks for Hawai'i taxpayers that were returned to the IRS averaged $1,217.

The IRS has a Web site, www.irs.gov, where people can check whether they are due a refund check or stimulus payment and receive instructions on how to update their addresses. Once on the site, click on "Claim your undelivered tax refund or stimulus check."

Taxpayers without Internet access who want to check on stimulus payments should call 866-234-2942.

Taxpayers checking on a refund over the phone will be given instructions on how to update their addresses by calling 800-829-1954.

Nationally, the IRS distributed 116 million economic stimulus checks through the end of September and more than 105 million regular refunds.

The IRS said it recommends that taxpayers file for direct deposits into their bank accounts, which means refund checks will not go astray.