The office of New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced that it has halted more than $21 million in “questionable” personal-income tax refunds after uncovering more than 6,300 improper filings among those filed this year.
DiNapoli’s office audits all New York state bills prior to payment, including personal income-tax refunds.
Taxpayers who claimed credits for ineligible child care, or claimed credits permitted only for low-income households, filed the majority of questionable returns, DiNapoli said in a news release.
Auditors found a “significant” number of dubious refunds, or 27 percent, that were linked to dishonest tax preparers filing false tax returns, according to the state comptroller’s office.
DiNapoli’s office audited and approved nearly 4 million refund requests totaling more than $3 billion in 2013. The state is expected to pay another 271,000 refund requests totaling $303 million in the coming days.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com