MA Refund Delay

[ATSMAN]

I file a lot of returns in MA and many taxpayers are complaining that refunds that were received within a week last few years are taking much longer. When you call their toll free status line it says "Processing" or other requirements being checked.

Are other tax preparers who file in MA experiencing this delay?

[Gary2]

I don't know for sure, but it's possible that looking out the window might give a clue as to the cause of the delays.

[Kram BergGold]

ID Theft

It is my undeerstanding that because of a rash of returns from Turbo Tax that were very suspect, the DOR is super checking all returns before sending out refunds.

[ATSMAN]

Solved!

Called MA DOR and there is additional scrutiny given this year to deter fraud and all the returns in the pipeline is being checked before releasing the refund. If a return can not be authenticated the taxpayer will receive a letter to confirm their identity.

So please inform your clients if you are filing in MA.