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Kokua Line June Watanabe |
All eligible taxpayers
will get child creditQuestion: In your "Kokua Line" column of May 29, you wrote about the federal child tax credit. What about people who have not yet filed their 2002 tax returns because they asked for extensions? Their deadlines extend to August. Will these taxpayers receive automatic payments from the Treasury Department after their tax returns are filed in August? Or do they claim the higher allowable amount (up to $1,000 instead of up to $600) on their returns, make a claim on a separate form for the difference, or do they miss out on the windfall?
Answer: Eligible taxpayers will not miss out on the "windfall."
People who filed for an extension and claim a child tax credit when they file their 2002 tax return should follow the 2002 tax law in figuring the amount of the credit, says IRS spokeswoman Shawn George.
If you are eligible for the advance payment of the 2003 child tax credit, the Treasury Department will mail your check four to six weeks after the IRS receives your 2002 tax return, she said.
Again, to receive the credit, you don't need to call or fill out any forms, George said. Your check will be sent automatically.
Q: I forwarded an amended state form N-12 2001 via certified mail to the state tax office on Dec. 30. I contacted the office on March 28, to inquire about the status of my amended return. I was told it would take a long time to process, they were working on the 2002 returns and "their checks will be cut before yours." Is this normal procedure for my amended return to be held in abeyance while others are processed?
A: Yes.
Returns are generally processed on a first-in first-out basis, which is fairest to taxpayers, said Grant Tanimoto, spokesman for the state Department of Taxation.
However, a priority is placed on processing the current year's returns.
"We do have limited resources, and this is how the work is currently prioritized," he said.
You filed your amended return at the end of 2002 just as the 2003 filing season was beginning, so the priority was to process the current year returns and refunds, he said.
Q: Who do I contact regarding our tax refund? We mailed our tax return at end of March. We have since received our federal refund but have not received our state refund check to date. Is there a number or a person we can contact regarding our state refund check? Whatever information you can supply will be greatly appreciated.
A: The date a return or amended return is filed generally determines the processing time.
Refunds generally are issued within eight weeks from the date the return is filed with the state Department of Taxation. However, it may take additional time if the return was filed close to the April 20 filing deadline, if errors were made in completing your return or if you moved and did not notify the district office where the return was filed of a change in address.
But regarding refunds, you can call the state Taxpayer Services Branch at 587-4242 or toll-free at 800-222-3229.
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Useful phone numbers
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