Mass., Vermont Halt Refunds Over Fraudulent Use of TurboTax

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — State tax refunds are being delayed as the Department of Revenue investigates reports of fraudulent returns through the popular TurboTax service.

Some 19 states are looking into potential tax fraud being perpetrated through the Intuit Inc. tax preparation software by individuals using identity theft to file for refunds.

"Our first concern is the protection of Massachusetts taxpayers' personal information," said DOR Commissioner Amy Pitter in a statement. "We want to be sure that the tax refunds currently in the pipeline are being sent to the legitimate taxpayer. We have temporarily stopped issuing refunds in order to further scrutinize the returns based on new information that we received in our discussions with other state agencies and the country's largest provider of third-party tax preparation software."

Forbes.com first reported early Friday that Minnesota had stopped accepting state filings through TurboTax; Intiut on Thursday began temporarily holding state filings while it worked with state governments to resolve the issues.

The Vermont Department of Taxes also halted state refunds.

"We understand the role we play in this important industry issue and continuously monitor our systems in search of suspicious activity," said Brad Smith, Intuit president and chief executive officer, in a statement posted on the company's website. "We've identified specific patterns of behavior where fraud is more likely to occur. We’re working with the states to share that information and remedy the situation quickly. We will continue to engage them on an ongoing basis in an effort to stop fraud before it gets started."

The DOR has about 160,000 returns claiming refunds in its system. All will "receive additional scrutiny before refunds are released to taxpayers," DOR officials said in a statement.

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.

 

More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.

 

Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.

 

One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 

 

"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."

 

Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.

 

Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.