New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today his office stopped $25.3 million in questionable or fraudulent personal income tax refunds from being paid so far in 2015.
DiNapoli's office has audited and approved 5.1 million state refunds totaling $4.7 billion. More than 368,000 refunds totaling $386.9 million are expected to be paid in the coming days.
“Millions of honest New Yorkers are rushing to file their tax returns. My office is watching for those who would con the system to steal the public’s money. Whether these scams are new or traditional, my auditors work diligently to expose tax cheats.” DiNapoli said. “As refund fraud and identity theft increases, my office is working to ensure that only legitimate refunds are paid and that honest New Yorkers are getting a fair deal.”
DiNapoli’s office audits New York state bills prior to payment, including personal income tax refunds. The Comptroller’s auditors work with the Department of Taxation and Finance to stop questionable refunds and to ensure timely payment of legitimate refunds. The $25.3 million stopped by DiNapoli’s office had been approved for payment but DiNapoli’s auditors found red flags and halted payments.
In addition, the Comptroller issued a separate report summarizing the results of his office’s audit of refunds during the period January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014. During that year, DiNapoli’s auditors stopped 13,380 questionable refunds totaling about $55.6 million. Of the $55.6 million in questionable refunds, DiNapoli's auditors estimated their efforts produced $34 million in savings.