Review of unresolved NC tax returns are complete

By GARY D. ROBERTSON
Associated Press

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina tax collectors have eliminated a backlog of years-old returns before a self-imposed deadline, but they still need legislative help to send out even more refunds.

Department of Revenue spokeswoman Beth Stevenson says the agency processed about 150,000 unresolved returns by Dec. 11. Former Revenue Secretary Ken Lay had set a deadline of Wednesday to review 240,000 flagged items in those returns, some dating back to the mid-1990s.

Stevenson says the department has sent 10,500 individual income refunds worth $38 million as part of the backlog. But she says 7,800 similar refunds totaling $2.6 million can’t be sent out until the Legislature changes the law. A three-year statute of limitations bars the department from returning those overpayments.

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