More than 1,000 Missourians from throughout the state have contacted State Auditor Nicole Galloway to report missing refunds and other concerns about their tax returns. In a letter issued today, Auditor Galloway is calling on the director of the Department of Revenue to take quick action and address taxpayers' complaints.
"Over the last six weeks, more than 1,000 Missourians have contacted my whistleblower hotline seeking information on the status of their tax refund. They report long wait times, disconnected calls, the inability to speak to a representative when seeking status information on their refunds, and receiving a refund after 45 days without receiving interest. Missourians are becoming understandably frustrated by the delay and I urge the Department of Revenue to take all necessary steps to complete refund processing as quickly as possible," Auditor Galloway said.
Missouri law requires that any personal income tax refunds issued after 45 days past filing be paid to taxpayers with interest. Refunds were due on June 2 to all taxpayers who filed income tax returns by the April 18 deadline.
Auditor Galloway is currently auditing the Department of Revenue. The audit includes a review of the processes used to ensure refunds are paid timely and with all appropriate interest. The audit will review the Department of Revenue's compliance and timeliness over the past two years.
Updated information on the amount refunded by the state is available online at auditor.mo.gov/statedailyspending.
Citizens can request an update on the status of their refund by contacting the Department of Revenue directly at 573-751-3505.
A copy of the letter Auditor Galloway sent to the Department of Revenue is online here.
Missouri owes me a tax refund of about $700. Today I called the number in this article, and after I went through multiple menu steps, my call was disconnected. Then I went on line to the site given to me in one of the menu steps in my phone call. After going through all the security steps again, I arrived at a screen that said my request was being processed and to allow more time. I went on with other tasks and checked the site periodically. An hour and a half later, nothing. Same screen. Same message to give them more time! Guess I'll try again tomorrow, but I'm not hopeful that the results will be any better. My Missouri refunds have been a little slow in the past, but nothing like this. Lousy management!
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