O. M. G. Look at this email I just got.
We filed our state taxes about a week before April 15th through the mail. I rarely go through the mail, but since we lived in two states last year and our refund wasn’t spectacular, I didn’t want to pay turbo tax $30 to file it.
Recently I realized we hadn’t received a refund (its about $400) and I put it for direct deposit when I sent it in. I started getting panicky that they didn’t receive my taxes. (thoughts of the IRS showing up to pound in my door wanting my 1040 have been flooding my brain). In all seriousness, if it had gotten lost in the shuffle, I wanted to make sure I got on it right away.
So I did what any logical person would do, I pulled up the website to check on my taxes. The state has a link that allows you to see the status. Unfortunately (and now I know on purpose), the link wasn’t working when i clicked on it.
Hmm, weird.
So then I found a contact number and called.
Busy tone.
Busy tone.
Busy tone.
I give up and send an email. This is the email I sent:
This is the one I just got back:
H.O.L.Y. C.R.A.P.
Did they fire everyone and add 2nd graders to the pay roll too?
Should I be more shocked that they couldn’t sign it and add punctuation or that they are not refunding me MY $400.
If I didn’t pay them money I owed, I would probably be sued or garnished or owe 59% interest on it….but this is the email I get from some mismanaged state government.
I am infuriated.
Can I stop state taxes from being taken out of my husbands paycheck? Cause if they cant pay me now and cant tell me when, I don’t want to give them any more of MY Money.
~Trisha
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49 Comments
oh I can’t wait to read what you end up doing. doesn’t the gov’t know not to mess with a blogger?
HOLY EVERLOVING CRAP!
One more reason to GTFO of Alabama and move back to FL, huh?
They were doing this in California for awhile, and I had the same thought – so what I I owe them but simply cannot afford to pay them? That would be okay right?
I am still wondering why that link didn’t work and nobody answered the phone…gee, do you think they don’t want to hear what people have to say about this? At least the link could have worked and told you what you had to email about.
This is a crock of S&*t…this is OUR money that we worked hard for! Maybe a good explanation next year (if you owe) is to say “sorry I cannot pay you – I was going to use the money from my refund from last year to pay you this year…but I never received it – so sorry”
I agree – I think a phone call to the local news and one of their investigative reporters might be worth a shot…if nothing else, maybe to help you find out a timeline of when you might get YOUR money.
Sorry this happened – I would be furious too.
That’s bs! I’ve never heard of them not being able to pay people their refunds! I would be contacting one of your local gov’t officials! Good luck!
OMgosh Trisha, that is just horrible! I wonder if there is anything you can do about it?!?
Oh my gosh! That is horrible.
OMG I can’t believe that. And so true, you should be able to stop them from taking from his check if you can’t get what’s owed to you… this is crazy!
I would call your local news channel.
Are you serious that is crazy, absolutely awful.
That is terrible. I would tell the news about this. We have one Local News station in Tennessee that would be all over that one. They are annoying sometimes but they do get results.
That is really annoying!
This is so wrong. They are allowed to say we don’t have the money, but we aren’t. BS!
Yep, this has happened in a few states I know of. We adjusted our withholding on DH’s paycheck so that they take out the minimum possible. Sure we may have to pay at the end of the year, but at least they’re not getting any more of our money that we may never see back. It’s much easier to save some here and there for next April, and then do with it what we need to at that time than to rely on the gov’t who may or may not refund it to us.
That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!
Strangest thing I’ve ever heard! Really, I can’t believe that. I really hope you get your money soon. It’s weird they didn’t at least send out a letter to let you know.
That’s just ridiculous! Ok Im done lol.
WOW. This is what’s going to happen as the government continues handing out money (bailouts, stimulus, etc.) that they don’t even have. They are handing out our (taxpayers) refunds to keep the car companies and banks in business and then telling us they don’t have money to give use OUR refunds. WOW!
Are you serious! Ummm since when do we ever get a break on paying our taxes? I would be just as infuriated! Typical government assinine tactics and never responsible for their actions.
WHAT! That is so not right.
Wow, really? Can they DO this? Take out state taxes and just not give you your refund?
This is ridiculous! California just did the same thing but I believe everyone got their returns finally!
I am going to copy and paste their response so that I can use it in lieu of a check next year.
“Due to a shortage of funds, income tax payments are not being issued.”
This might also work for some of our bills.
They’re doing the same thing in NC too. I got my refund back in March, but heard shortly after that on the news that state refunds where anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks behind and they were running out of money to issue the refunds.
It sucks that the STATE doesn’t have to pay interest if they’re late paying us but we sure as heck do if we’re late paying them! (Not to mention get harassed and possibly face jail time as well!)
First the Illinois Tollway goes after ME for $7 in ALLEGED missed tolls, now Alabama cannot pay tax refunds.
What the hell is going on in the world?
And yeah if you didn’t pay you’d have been sent to collections already. They don’t pay, no one even bats an eye…
I’m going to go live in a cave and cut off all ties to the government. Can I get DSL in a cave?
What?!?! Do you have an investigator news reporter person around you who digs into things like this? We’ve got a few around here, but I bet they would be able to find out exactly what is going on! I’d call the news.
Wow-absolutely wow.
are you KIDDING me?! oh my gosh. that’s insane!!
OMG! Is that legal?
That is unbelievable. I mean really? They take money from you, TOO MUCH money from you, and they’re allowed to say “Oh well, we can’t give it back to you now, but some indefinite time in the near or far future, we’ll get it to you”?
Totally ridiculous.
Holy Crap. I don’t know what to say about that! That’s really, really, really bad. I’m surprised it hasn’t been all over the news?
OMG!! That is just so wrong on so many levels! I dont understand how they can do that and get away with it.