For Georgia residents who are still waiting to receive their state income tax refunds, the end may finally be near. The state greatly slowed the processing time for state income tax refunds beginning in February due to issues with tax fraud and associated IRS issues.
According to the state, doing so allowed Georgia to save nearly $17 million this year alone in fraudulent returns. The total number of blocked returns so far stands at 1,900. The state still has thousands more left to review. In 2015, the state blocked 75,000 returns for a total of $19 million in savings.
Around 100,000 Georgians are still waiting for their refunds. The slowdown came with the implementation of a new fraud detection system that scans returns as they arrive. When a return is flagged, it is then subjected to further investigation. The state reports that those that are still waiting are likely going through the investigative process, but the process should soon be complete.
Taxpayers who face audits or allegations of filing fraudulent returns may need to get help from a tax law attorney. A lawyer may be able to help clients with addressing the concerns of the IRS or the Georgia Department of Revenue. If errors have been made, a lawyer may help to correct them. Legal counsel may also be able to negotiate payment arrangements or offers in compromise for clients who owe money on their tax bills to the state and federal governments. Getting help from a tax attorney for tax issues may help to save substantial amounts of money while also providing peace of mind.
Source: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Still waiting for a Georgia tax refund? The end is in sight,” Greg Bluestein, May 11, 2016.