State Auditor Nicole Galloway, in a letter to Gov. Mike Parson, has asked him to take action to help Missourians who are still waiting for tax refunds.
More than 1,000 Missourians have contacted Galloway's office this year, complaining about delays which are often months long.
In her letter, Galloway reference reports in which the Department of Revenue said more than 70,000 Missourians are still waiting on their tax refunds.
"My office has heard from Missourians who are waiting on their refunds to pay bills and for necessities," Galloway's letter reads. "Those bills can't get paid with canned responses and generic excuses. Taxes are processed at the same time every year. There is no excuse for taxpayers to be experiencing this level of dysfunction."
Galloway asked the governor to respond within two weeks with a plan of action for providing those waiting with their refunds, and for an update on the status of tax refunds of the more than 1,000 Missourians who contacted her office directly.
An audit release in January 2018 by Galloway showed state income tax refunds had become increasingly and deliberately delayed. Another audit, in early 2019, showed some improvement in the timeliness of refunds, but Galloway said it now appears the situation is getting worse again.
Taxpayers whose tax refunds have been delayed can contact the State Auditor's Whistleblower Hotline at 800-347-8597 or email [email protected].