| It's that time of year again folks, and if you live in | | | | At every menu level in the Department's |
| Georgia, that means another wait for your tax | | | | phone system, you should be able to click through |
| refund check from the Georgia Department of | | | | to a live person by hitting the "0" or "#" key to |
| Revenue. As a former "insider" I am frequently | | | | get to a live operator. |
| asked, "How can I get in touch with a live person | | | | When you do get a live person, please be |
| at the Georgia Department of Revenue?" If you | | | | nice. Don't tell them how long you have been on |
| happen to be one of the several hundred | | | | hold. They know. They're sorry. It's not their fault. |
| thousand individual taxpayers calling about a tax | | | | Trust me on this. Comments like these waste |
| refund for this, or any prior year, it's not that | | | | your time and theirs. Just avoid those kinds of |
| easy to actually get a live person. But, it can be | | | | comment, and you will be met with a much nicer |
| done. Here's how: | | | | person on the other end. These examiners take |
| File electronically. Statistically, you have a | | | | as many as 500 calls per day apiece, with about a |
| better shot at getting your refund faster if you | | | | second and a half in between, and everyone has |
| file electronically, and especially if you elect for | | | | been on hold and most of them complain about it, |
| direct deposit. | | | | as though the examiner somehow wasn't aware |
| If you haven't received your refund within | | | | of this. |
| two to three weeks (filing electronically) or six to | | | | Bear in mind that the "operator" you will get |
| eight weeks (filing a paper return), then you | | | | at this level is likely a seasonal employee (we |
| should begin by going to the Georgia Department | | | | used to call them Temporary Tax Examiners), |
| of Revenue and searching there. Don't worry, it's | | | | with just enough training to answer some basic |
| safe and secure and actually works in most cases. | | | | questions about your refund, but not necessarily |
| You'll be asked some identification info - your SSN | | | | trained to talk to you about your whole tax |
| without dashes, and the whole dollar amount of | | | | return at all. |
| your expected refund. | | | | The GADOR is crippled by a number of old |
| If this doesn't work, then there's no need to | | | | computer systems (some from the 1980's) that |
| call the Refund Inquiry Hotline (877) 423-6711, | | | | do not "talk" to each other. This necessitates Tax |
| because it has the EXACT SAME INFORMATION, | | | | Examiners having to toggle between various |
| but if you do, press 2 and you will be taken to | | | | systems to answer a single question about a |
| the exact same computer system as the website | | | | specific taxpayer. The Refund Inquiry operators |
| in the previous bullet point. | | | | may or may not have access to any other |
| If you must call, do so early in the morning. | | | | system, so any kind of examination takes a long |
| The Automated Caller Distribution System | | | | while. |
| switches from the night message (which says | | | | If you have a question about your return, or |
| they're closed and gives you the hours of | | | | if the system tells the Examiner that your return |
| operation) to Active status at about 7:30. If you | | | | is in some type of "Review Status", then you will |
| call at exactly the right time, you can be among | | | | need to speak to a higher level Tax Examiner. |
| the first in line. Then the callers will back up behind | | | | Likely, these higher level examiners are |
| YOU, because they don't read my blog. Later in | | | | already speaking with someone else, so you will |
| the day, it is not unusual to experience an hour or | | | | be placed on hold again. Unfortunately, it is nearly |
| more hold time. Frequently, a call to this number | | | | impossible to get a Refund Examiners to transfer |
| returns a fast busy, which means that the | | | | you to a specific Tax Examiner, but it's worth |
| system is overloaded with calls and cannot take | | | | asking. |
| another one. If you get this, wait 10 minutes and | | | | When you are transferred to a live person, |
| call back, or wait until early the next morning. | | | | try to get them to give you their direct phone |
| The Refund Inquiry System is on the main | | | | number if you want to call back for further |
| income tax number (Press 2) and it will ask you | | | | information or questions. Almost every employee |
| for your SSN and expected refund amount. | | | | at the GA DOR has a direct line (and usually a |
| If you receive a response like "we do not | | | | group fax #). Try to get both of these if possible. |
| have a record of your return" or something to | | | | In my experience, the examiners are more likely |
| that effect, don't send in another copy. They | | | | to answer a direct call than one routed to them |
| probably have your return somewhere. If you | | | | via the Automated Caller Distribution system. |
| mailed a paper return, shame on you. If you filed | | | | Also, try to get the correct spelling of both |
| electronically and they say they don't have it - | | | | the first and last name of the employee. |
| then you may have a problem. | | | | Departmental policy changes from year to year, |
| If everything is correct on your return and | | | | but typically, they are only required to give you |
| the name and address information matches what | | | | their employee ID, but most of the employees |
| is in the Department's files from previous years, | | | | will give you their first and last names when |
| then you should hear a message like, "Your | | | | requested. |
| refund should be deposited into your account on | | | | Armed with first and last names, the |
| __/__/2010," or, "Your refund check will be | | | | nomenclature for the emails at the DOR is simple: |
| mailed by __/__/2010." These dates are pretty | | | | firstname.lastname@dor.ga.gov. So, if you can get |
| accurate if you get to this point, because if they | | | | the examiner's first and last name, you can at |
| have assigned a "check date" to your refund, | | | | least email them any future questions. |
| then it's approved and they really will mail it or | | | | Finally, if you are still unable to get through, |
| deposit it when they say they will. The | | | | there are some backdoor tricks that I have found |
| Department prints checks and does direct | | | | to be effective. I will be posting about some of |
| deposits frequently throughout the week and | | | | these over the next few days, so please |
| they are pretty good at getting the COMPLETED | | | | subscribe to this blog (in the top right corner of |
| refunds out the door. Commissioner Graham has | | | | this page) and I'll let you know when there is an |
| a pretty decent record on this during his term. | | | | update. |
