Pin It
albany3_120The State Comptroller’s office has halted $16.4 million in questionable personal income tax refunds after finding 5,903 improper filings among those who’ve filed so far this year, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today. DiNapoli's office audited and approved 4.7 million refund requests totaling $4.1 billion in 2012. Another 406,000 refund requests totaling $382 million are expected to be paid in the coming days.

“While most taxpayers play by the rules, these unscrupulous filers claimed children they don’t have, listed fictitious day care expenses or used other schemes to cheat their fellow New Yorkers,” DiNapoli said.  “Through my office’s efforts, we will ensure that only legitimate refunds are paid.”

DiNapoli’s office audits all New York State bills prior to payment, including personal income tax refunds. The majority of questionable returns were filed by taxpayers who claimed credits for ineligible child care or credits allowed only for low-income households. A significant number – 23 percent – were linked to dishonest tax preparers filing false tax returns.

Questionable personal income tax refund requests stopped to date include taxpayer claiming ineligible refundable credits (e.g. fake or inflated number of dependents or understated income), tax preparer submitted returns claiming ineligible refundable credits, taxpayer with questionable social security numbers, taxpayer claiming incorrect wages and withholding, taxpayer with questionable itemized deductions, taxpayer failed to claim correct New York City income, taxpayer failed to claim correct New York State income.

$16,359,131 in total refunds have been stopped.

v8i15
Pin It