Still waiting on your NC tax refund after filing months ago? Here’s why it could be delayed

North Carolina began issuing tax refunds March 18, but some residents are still waiting for their money.

“This is inexcusable,” a Raleigh resident, who has been waiting nearly five months for their refund, told The News & Observer in an email. “There is zero reason for refunds to take this long.”

According to the N.C. Department of Revenue , refunds are issued within two weeks of receiving electronically-filed returns, but processing time for refunds could take longer due to additional reviews.

The Charlotte Observer contacted the NCDOR and asked why some refunds are still delayed. Here’s what they said.

Why are some NC tax refunds taking so long?

Some tax returns could take longer to process “ due to additional measures implemented to protect taxpayers’ identity and ensure they receive the appropriate refund ,” a spokesperson for the NCDOR told The Charlotte Observer in an email.

Here are some other common reasons why your state tax refund could be delayed, according to the NCDOR:

• There was a math error on your return.

• You used more than one form type to complete your return.

• Your return was missing information or incomplete.

How can you check the status of your NC tax refund?

Taxpayers can use the Where’s My Refund tool on the NCDOR website to check the status of their refunds, or contact the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate at 919-715-2080 .

Will late refunds include interest?

According to the NCDOR website, “ you will receive interest on your refund if your refund is not issued within 45 days from the date the return was due to be filed, the date the return is filed, or the date of the overpayment, whichever is later.”

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