RALEIGH — North Carolinians expecting a paper tax refund check should expect delays.
The N.C. Department of Revenue (NCDOR) issued a statement on May 15 indicating that the print and mail vendor used for refund checks had unexpectedly gone out of business. The vendor used is Professional Mail Services Inc., which the department has used since 2014.
“NCDOR is committed to serving our customers in the most efficient manner possible. We understand the importance of issuing refund checks and notices in a timely manner,” the department said in a press release. “We have a dedicated team focused on addressing refund and notice delays resulting from issues with print and mail services vendor.”
According to the department, approximately 300,000 individual income and business refund checks have been impacted along with 450,000 notices.
NCDOR indicated that taxpayers who filed their state returns electronically and use direct deposit for refund are not impacted by the vendor issue. Over 2.1 million direct deposit refunds have been issued for tax year 2024 as of May 22, according to NCDOR.
At least 90,000 refund checks had already gone out as of May 16. As of May 23, NCDOR said it had mailed “approximately 100,000 refund checks that were impacted by the interruption in print and mail services.”
NCDOR’s Where’s My Refund (WMR) lookup tool is currently unavailable, but the department said it is continuing to “review and develop plans for notices that weren’t printed or mailed,” and has set up a webpage for updates and frequently asked questions that can be accessed by visiting: https://www.ncdor.gov/status-mailing-delays.
Questions can also be directed to NCDOR’s Customer Service line at 1-877-252-3052.
