Funding cuts and employee shortages mean area taxpayers will have to wait longer for their refund checks.
Cash-strapped tax departments in Maryland, Virginia and the District are cutting back on the number of workers hired to process paper tax returns, and that means earners will have to wait longer for their refunds.
“In a normal year we hire about 140 temporary workers that come in during the tax season. This year we’ve hired about 80,” said Lisa Lester, a spokeswoman with the state of Maryland.
Waiting for refunds
Area Paper filing Electronic filing
Virginia 4 to 5 weeks 72 hours
Maryland 4 to 6 weeks 72 hours
District 2 to 3 weeks 5 to 7 days
Virginia and D.C. agencies face similar difficulties. “This is the second year in a row we’ve had to cut back,” said Joel Davison, a spokesman with Virginia’s tax department.
Davison said taxpayers had to wait roughly five weeks for their refund checks last year, and this year will be no different thanks to a $75,000 reduction in funding for temporary workers.
Maryland taxpayers will have to wait four to six weeks after filing to receive their refunds, according to Lester.
And a D.C. spokeswoman said the city’s paper filers face two- to three-week wait times as a result of a 20 percent employee reduction.
Officials say taxpayers should file electronically to cut down on costs and wait times.
“It saves people time, and it saves the state money,” Davison said of the “e-filing” process, which accounted for roughly 60 percent of Maryland and Virginia tax returns last year.
A Maryland spokesman said the state would mail refund checks within 72 hours for those filing electronically, while a Virginia spokesman estimated similar wait times for Old Dominion taxpayers. Electronic filers in the District could wait up to a week.
While local government agencies are struggling this tax season, the situation could be worse.
Last year, Maryland was unable to hire a single temporary worker to assist in the tax-return process, prompting employees from outside the tax department to chip in.
Last year, Maryland was unable to hire a single temporary worker to assist in the tax-return process, prompting employees from outside the tax department to chip in.
And this year, at least seven states — including New York, North Carolina and Kansas — are considering withholding tax refunds for up to five months to avoid cash shortages.
