(CNN) -- If you're traveling by air this month, there's a good chance the government owes you money. Don't believe me? You can thank Congress and its inability to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. Here's how you can get your money back, though be prepared to wait a little while for things to settle. Congress periodically has to renew the authorization of the FAA to do a variety of things, and one of those things is collecting taxes on air travel. As with everything in Washington, the left and the right all try to sneak in politically charged riders that prevent the FAA reauthorization from moving forward to fund important projects such as the NextGen air traffic control overhaul.
@highlight
Fliers who bought tickets before the FAA shutdown might be entitled to a tax refund
@highlight
Tickets purchased before July 23 for travel from July 23 until the FAA is restored are eligible
@highlight
Some airlines have agreed to coordinate refunds with the Internal Revenue Service
@highlight
The IRS is developing procedures to process the air travel tax refunds
(If you file for a refund after your first flight, then you have no way of knowing if the @placeholder will again be collecting taxes by the time you return.)