The North Carolina Department of Revenue has the following message posted on the department website: 'NCDOR's print vendor unexpectedly went out of business. As a result, there will be delays for tax papers expecting a paper refund check."
However, we spoke with one viewer who says it's been hard to get answers, even for those who are supposed to have direct deposits.
"The North Carolina Department of Revenue hasn't stood up. Nobody is standing up and telling the people of North Carolina that this is the problem," said Norman Allen. We spoke with Norman Allen, who is expressing frustration after still having not received their state refund check. Allen tells ABC11, he and his wife filed their tax returns in February, confirmed the state received their paperwork shortly after, but months later, with no refund, he was left with more questions than answers.
"The two phone numbers of the customer service number run you into a voice loop that disconnects you," said Allen. ABC11 took on Allen's case and got in touch with the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Due to privacy laws, they could not comment, but a taxpayer advocate connected with Allen. Allen was able to speak with the advocate, provide more information, and shortly after, finally received his tax refund.
But there are other taxpayers still waiting for answers. On the agency's social media, there are comments asking about the timeline of refunds. The Department of Revenue Website describes how the printing company went out of business, causing there to be a delay for those expecting paper checks, impacting around 300,000 people. The department says other delays may be due to incomplete or incorrect information on the filer's part or waiting for review or verification. For a period of time the 'where is my refund' portal was unavailable; however, as of June 26, it seems to be back up and running.
But lack of communication, Allen says, was the biggest frustration. "It comes back to the accountability, it comes back to leadership," said Allen.
Do you have unclaimed cash in North Carolina?
ABC11 News asked the Department of Revenue several questions, like the normal turnaround time to get your refund, what they're doing to expedite paper check delivery, why the 'check my status' portal wasn't working for several weeks. For transparency, here are the questions we asked and their responses:
Is there a normal timeline for people to receive direct deposits? Does it 'normally' take two to three months to process (if everything is correct)?
The Direct Deposit page on the NCDOR website includes an FAQ specifically about When Can I Expect My Direct Deposit Refund. Direct deposit refunds normally take 3-6 weeks. There are two reasons why they might take longer:
- Incomplete or incorrect information on the return. Sometimes returns are missing information such as signatures, ID numbers, bank account information, W-2s, or 1099s. We will contact the taxpayer to request this information so we can process the return.
- Return selected for additional review. As refund fraud resulting from identity theft has become more widespread, we take extra steps to review all individual income tax returns we receive to be sure refunds go to the rightful owners. Additional safeguards can mean that it takes us longer to process a refund. However, our goal is to stop fraudulent refunds before they're issued, not to slow down issuing the refund.
Since there is no way to check a person's status online, is there a way to contact their office directly?
- The Where's My Refund Application is now available. In addition, taxpayers can call 1-877-252-3052 if they want more information about their refund.
When a problem arises between a taxpayer and the Department of Revenue that cannot be resolved through normal administrative channels, the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate will seek resolution of the problem and ensure that it is handled in a professional manner.
- Taxpayers can contact the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate from the agency's website: https://www.ncdor.gov/contact-us/office-taxpayer-advocate
Can you provide details on why this wasn't working before?
- The Where's My Refund Application was taken offline in May because the NCDOR was unable to provide accurate information about the paper refund checks that were printed but not mailed by the print vendor when they closed unexpectedly.
Refund Inquiry Selection
Status of Mailing Delays | NCDOR
Office of the Taxpayer Advocate | NCDOR