New York State tax return delay

Posted at: 02/18/2010 5:31 PM | Updated at: 02/18/2010 7:45 PM
By: Pat McGonigle | WHEC.com

Taxpayers are outraged. The state doesn't have enough money to pay it's bills so Governor Paterson may hold on to your state tax refund.

Paterson says don't blame him. He says taxpayers should point the finger at the state legislature. He claims lawmakers did not make the necessary cuts and now he's forced to make up the money.

Like everyone, Michael Suber has been looking forward to his tax refund money but now he's feeling a little anxious after hearing the state could delay his tax refund. “I like them to take a little bit more out of my check every week so that I get a big tax refund and now I have to wait for it, so that didn't make me happy."

Also angry, John Craigie from Greece. He's counting on his state tax refund to make ends meet. “I have a son to raise, a girlfriend and we need this money to come back and help take care of things and catch us up from the holiday season.”

The state pays out six-billion in state refunds every year but with soaring deficits in Albany, Governor Paterson is thinking of delaying $500-million in refunds until later in the spring.

Paterson says he has to do it because lawmakers in Albany failed to come up with other budget solutions...

Local republican State Senator Joe Robach disagrees. “Plain and simply, people in New York are overburdened, men and women taxpayers don't need another hurdle. Let’s give them back the money. They've already held it for a year in some cases. Lets' give it back to them in a quick time."

Local democratic Assemblyman Joe Morelle started an online petition to urge Paterson to drop this idea. “People who are entitled to refunds have paid more than their share to state taxes in the highest taxed state in the continental United States and we can't balance the budget by asking people to delay their refunds any longer.”

Meanwhile at tax filing centers all over Rochester, word is spreading about the plan to withhold the state refunds and there's a clear consensus on how people feel about this – it’s not right

For more Rochester, N.Y. news go to our website www.whec.com.