Every year I nag preach remind folks about adjusting payroll withholding so that the tax man gets only as much as he should.
That advice applies not only to the Internal Revenue Service, but state tax collectors, too.
Just ask around 20,000 Kansas taxpayers who won't get their state refund checks for another couple of weeks.
The problem, says the Kansas Department of Revenue, is its accounting process as it wraps up the fiscal year, which ends on June 30.
Kansas finance officials routinely shut down issuance of all payments in mid-June, including to taxpayers expecting refunds, as the state settles its accounts in advance of the July 1 start of the new fiscal year. This two-week hold gives the state a chance to clear the fiscal decks.
When Kansas starts cutting refund check again in early July, the tax department says the usual rules apply. If you filed electronically, you'll get your check sooner than if you filed by paper.
There's one bit of good news for those who must wait. They'll get some interest added to their refund.
Making withholding changes: These folks might think about adjusting state — and federal, too, just in case — withholding amounts this year so they won't have to worry about waiting again.
It's a W-4 form for federal tax withholding and K-4 for Kansas workers.
If you live in another one of the 43 states that collects income tax, you can check with your state tax department (or payroll office) about the necessary paperwork.
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