Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- It's June 1, and some people still haven't received their state tax returns. The Utah Tax Commission says it's because they have fewer workers handling the documents.
Tax Day is April 15. Fast forward a month and a half, and some people still haven't received their tax returns from the state. Accountants say the delays this year have been especially bad.
"They've been calling after that two weeks, and then we say, ‘Wait another week,'" says Shawna Willits, general manager of Jackson-Hewitt Tax Service in West Jordan.
Willits says about 50 percent of her clients' electronic returns were delayed. Most were just a few weeks late, but some took much longer.
"I've had a few people who just barely got it back. It was the month and a half and they just received it now," Willits says. "If you haven't received it, it's a good idea to call."
The Utah Tax Commission has only 45 seasonal workers instead of the 145 people they had last year. Those layoffs are causing a backup for those who filed by paper: expect a two- to three-month wait.
However, if you e-filed and still haven't received your return, the commission says there could be a problem that's holding it up.
"What happens though, if there's a mistake on their return, it may be a Social Security number that's written down wrong or wasn't changed, or a minor error like that," says Charlie Roberts, spokesman for the Utah Tax Commission.
Roberts says because of state budget cuts, the tax commission will most likely keep fewer seasonal workers in coming years. To receive the quickest returns, he recommends taxpayers file electronically from here on out.
If you're expecting a tax return from the state and haven't received it yet, contact the Utah State Tax Commission at 801-297-2200.
E-mail: ngonzales@ksl.com
