North Carolina taxpayers be warned: You’ll have to wait longer again this year to get your income tax refunds. Revenue Secretary Kenneth Lay says that the agency is starting now to delay refund checks for individuals and businesses.
It’s all part of the state’s effort to manage cash while its tax collections remain anemic. The Revenue Department held back on refunds last year, too. However, that didn’t become public until early March, after many taxpayers started complaining about delays. Lay acknowledged his agency wasn’t as prepared then to respond and is trying to be more proactive in 2010.
Officials say this time of year, it usually takes two to six weeks to process a return with no errors or problems and approve a refund. That rises to 12 weeks or longer as April 15 approaches.
