Thousands of RIers wait on tax refunds

May 25, 2016 5:49 pm

By: Rebecca Turco

Email: rturco@abc6.com

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Thousands of Rhode Islanders are still waiting on their tax refunds.

The state still has roughly 50,000 tax returns to process, according to officials.

Kathleen Serpa of West Warwick tells ABC6 News she filed in February so she wouldn’t have to wait long to get her money back. Except now, that is exactly what she is doing.

"I don’t understand what the holdup is," she said. "My mom’s still waiting too, so we have this conversation every week: ‘did you hear anything?’ She said no, I call every Friday.”

Officials blame the hold-up on a new computer system that features stricter fraud monitoring. Weeks ago, they had said most people would get their refunds by the end of May. Whether that will happen now is unclear.

“We’re very frustrated,” Serpa said. “It’s difficult to make ends meet.”

Officials say they’re working as fast as they can to get everyone’s returns back soon.