“They’ve told me that they have to track down the money and get it back before I will receive my refund.”

“Dear PoPville,

I was wondering if anyone else is having issues similar to mine. It’s an incredibly long story, but I’ll try and keep it short.

I filed my taxes, both DC and federal in mid-February. The feds wired me my refund about a week later. I was also owed a significant refund ($2k+) from DC due to a few recent changes in circumstance. After a month or so I called DC Office of Taxation and Revenue, sat on hold for an hour and spoke with a rep there. They claim to have mailed me a check, though I never received it. I have a service from USPS that scans each standard sized envelope at the sorting facility and emails me a copy each morning. It’s called ‘Informed Delivery’. Pretty cool service. I went back and looked at my records and a mailpiece from DC OTR never made it to the sorting facility.

The standard process from there (because this presumably happens a lot) is to fill out an affidavit indicating that I did not cash the check myself.

I did so and mailed it back. 2 weeks later I called to check in and they told me that I had to physically come into the office. The fact I had to keep calling them for updates indicates to me they have very little interest in me receiving my own money back. More forms wre necessary, including one that I had to have notarized (!). I did so. Another in person visit concluded that someone had forged their name over the check and cashed it. An investigation was launched which they say may conclude in September. They’ve told me that they have to track down the money and get it back before I will receive my refund.

It seems silly that because DC refuses to make payments by anything other than check – despite it being 2017 – I have to wait 7 months to receive a refund. I can’t imagine I’m the only one dealing with this nonsense. I was curious if anyone else was.

My new plan is to adjust my withholding so that DC doesn’t owe me a refund and I’m responsible for paying them. Which I will of course be able to manage in under seven months.”