Wednesday, June 30, 2010

7 States that Still Owe their Citizens Refunds

Last week the Roni Deutch Tax Center – Tax Help Blog posted a great new article on the seven states that still owe their citizens refunds. The list includes Hawaii, New York, and North Carolina, among others. You can find a snippet of the article below, or read the full story here.

1. Iowa

Like many local governments, the state of Iowa has had their fair share of financial problems due to the recession. Fortunately, the largely agricultural state has managed to bounce back rather quickly compared to other struggling states. In order to get their budget in check, Iowa has used a number of tactics to cope with their financial problems, including a slight delay in the payment of tax refunds. The state’s revenue department is now assuring taxpayers that they have begun processing returns and will mail out refunds as soon as possible. If you are an Iowan taxpayer still awaiting the arrival of your tax refund, click here to check its status.

2. Rhode Island

Thousands of taxpayers in Rhode Island have been patiently waiting for their tax refund. When the residents were told their tax refund might not arrive until the end of the fiscal year, so many taxpayers became upset and the state legislators have introduced a bill that would move up the late-interest fee date—the taxpayers will now get compensated for the inconvenience.

3. Hawaii

Hawaii's economy was hit hard in the recession. The state’s unemployment rates are at the highest levels in over 30 years and personal bankruptcy rates have soared. Hawaii has long been considered one of the best vacation spots in the country, but tourism has slowed down since the recession began and the state government was forced to delay payment of state tax refunds due to a lack of revenue. Fortunately, the local economy is improving and the state government began sending out refunds at the end of May. Residents of Hawaii can visit this site to see the status of their refund.