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State says all refund checks printed and mailed, vast majority of direct deposits sent

INDIANAPOLIS – The vast majority of Indiana Automatic Taxpayer Refund payments have been processed.

That’s according to the Indiana Department of Revenue and the Auditor of State’s Office.

DOR handled direct deposit payments while the Auditor of State handled the printing and mailing of checks.

How much did people get?

Because of the state’s excess in reserves law, eligible Indiana taxpayers received a $125, one-time Automatic Taxpayer Refund (ATR). Married couples filing jointly received a $250 payment, with the initial rounds of money being deposited in May. They continued through late June.

During the special session, Indiana lawmakers approved a second $200 payment to help with inflation and rising fuel prices. Individuals received $200 while married couples filing jointly received $400. Direct deposits for the second round started hitting bank accounts in mid-August.

Direct deposit payments went to Hoosiers who filed their tax returns electronically and for which the state had bank information.

Hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers had to wait a little longer. While the state planned to send $125 payments via check by the end of July, the checks were delayed as the state struggled to get enough paper to print the checks.

When the Indiana General Assembly approved the second round of money, the state consolidated the two refunds, meaning eligible Hoosiers who didn’t receive a direct deposit were due a $325 check (or $650 for married couples filing jointly).

The Auditor of State aimed to have more than 1.5 million checks printed and mailed by early October, a goal the agency has achieved.

Most payments already sent

DOR said the bulk of direct deposit payments have already been sent. A small number may still go out, but those cases involve eligible Hoosiers whose tax returns are still being processed and for which the state has direct deposit information.

The Auditor of State’s Office said all outstanding taxpayer refund checks have been printed and mailed. The last checks were printed on Sept. 21 and mailed the next day, according to State Auditor Tera Klutz.

That means the majority of eligible taxpayers should have received their money or it’s already on the way.

“Most Hoosiers who filed a 2020 tax return in 2021, should have received their automatic taxpayer refund via direct deposit or mailed check by now,” Klutz said.

Some payments still being processed

There are some exceptions, however. If the Department of Revenue had a direct deposit bounce back, then that taxpayer’s information will be sent to the Auditor of State so a check can be mailed.

There are also some cases in which checks mailed to an address get returned in the mail because someone has changed their address. State officials said there is an automated process in place to locate the new address and resend the check.

Because of the delay in getting mail returned and sending out additional checks, the state is asking Hoosiers to wait until Nov. 1 to check on the status of their payment.

What to do if you received a check for a deceased relative

Some Hoosiers received refund checks for individuals who are deceased. The Auditor of State’s Office said they’ve fielded multiple calls from people in this situation.

Here’s what you should do.

If an individual received a check for someone who has since passed away, the living spouse or executor needs to file a Distributee’s Affidavit for Disposition of Estates SF# 49377 with the Auditor of State and include a copy of the Death Certificate.

The completed and notarized form can then be mailed to the Indiana Auditor of State at 200 West Washington Street, Room 240, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

My check is blurry or couldn’t be deposited. What should I do?

If you received a check with blurriness or printing errors that are preventing it from being deposited at your bank, you can request a replacement.

You’ll need to fill out an Affidavit for Lost or Not Received Warrant SF#42850.

The completed and notarized form can then be mailed to the Indiana Auditor of State at 200 West Washington Street, Room 240, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Individuals with questions specific to the affidavit process can contact the Auditor of State at Comments@auditor.IN.gov.

I need my check split. How do I do that?

Hoosiers who received a joint check for $650 made out to both spouses who filed their 2020 individual tax returns jointly but have since divorced and need the money divided between them should mail the individual check and a written request to split the payment to:

Indiana Department of Revenue
Attn: Non-Responsible Spouse
PO Box 7202
Indianapolis, IN 46207

I’m eligible but haven’t gotten my money. What should I do?

For now, state officials are asking Hoosiers who’ve yet to receive their payments to wait about another month.

That’s because the state is allowing time for the returned mail process to play out. Hoosiers should wait until Nov. 1 to contact the Department of Revenue about their automatic tax refund payments.

Additional guidance is expected at a later date.

What if I didn’t qualify for the $125 but do qualify for the $200?

Some taxpayers who were ineligible for the initial $125 payments are eligible for the $200. However, they won’t get the money as a direct payment.

Instead, those taxpayers will need to file a 2022 Indiana tax return. The money will come as a refundable tax credit, meaning they’ll get it as part of their individual tax refund.

To qualify for the refundable tax credit, the taxpayer must have received Social Security benefits in calendar year 2022. In addition, they must not be claimed as a dependent on a 2022 Indiana income tax return.

That means some Hoosiers who aren’t used to filing a tax return because of income limitations will need to file one to claim their money. The state won’t begin accepting tax returns until mid- to late-January 2023.