Long wait for state refunds can be taxing

Of all the bureaucratic delays, perhaps none is quite as maddening as when the government owes you money.

The Minnesota Department of Revenue is still processing property tax and renters' refund checks for about 22,000 Minnesotans.

Assistant Revenue Department Commissioner Terri Steenblock said the agency is processing them as fast as possible. "We always have about that number around this time of year," she said. Residents waiting for their checks can't blame the government shutdown for any delay, Steenblock said.

The Revenue Department has already processed 593,000 refunds, according to Lisa Erickson, a department spokeswoman. That's about on target compared to past years.

Erickson said some of the tax refunds can be delayed when they require a staffer to personally review the document for accuracy. Staffers deal with scores of duplicate tax returns and calculation errors that need to be corrected. "The department is currently working on returns that require more review to ensure the accuracy of the refund," she said.

So far, the average renter's refund check is $629 and the average property tax refund is $742, Erickson said.

"We are reviewing volume and staffing multiple times a week and allocating trained staff to assist us with the review of the remaining returns," she said.

A fiscal disparities study is several weeks behind schedule, the legislatively mandated agriculture land valuation group meetings have been pushed back, and there's been a delay processing disaster relief applications for the storms in western Minnesota.

Rep. Greg Davids, who chairs the House Taxes Committee, said he was concerned that there would be a logjam of problems in the Revenue Department after the state government shutdown. "But it happened, so we have to move forward," said Davids, R-Preston.

For those last Minnesotans waiting for checks, Davids said the department is moving as fast as it can.

"I know it's a hardship for people who need to catch up on bills," he said. "I just hope that people can be a little patient and know the check is in the mail."