Citizens can now view the status of their RI Tax Return check via the Internet.
PROVIDENCE, RI – March 30, 2004 – The RI Division of Taxation in partnership with RI.gov announced today that citizens can now view the status of their pending tax return online.
“The goal of this service is two fold,� stated R. Gary Clark, Tax Administrator for the State of Rhode Island. “First it offers a convenient way for citizens to get an update as to when they can expect to get their income tax refund check, and second it helps free up a significant amount of time with our taxpayer assistance staff that they historically spend on the phone with individuals answering their inquires about the status of their return.�
Citizens can take advantage of this new service by going to http://www.ri.gov/taxation/refund/. Once they have browsed to the website they are asked to enter information including their name, social security number, and the expected amount of return.
“We ask for that information to protect their privacy,� comments Technical Support Specialist Daniel Clemence who worked with the staff at RI.gov to develop the service. “We don’t want people to be able to look for other people’s refunds – the way the service is set up you will need to have a copy of your return to view your results.�
The service is updated weekly and lets the user know if their return has been processed, if it has been mailed or if there were any problems processing their tax return.
The State of Rhode Island processes approximately 550,000 personal income tax returns every year.
The new service was created without taxpayer expense by RI.gov as part of a zero-dollar partnership between the State of Rhode Island and New England Interactive and is just one of many citizen services available on the State Portal at http://www.ri.gov.
Tom Collins, Chief Information officer for Rhode Island notes, “We’re very pleased to be adding the tax refund status tool to our growing list of eGovernment services. It is another very useful example of how Rhode Island is continuing to use technology to increase service to our citizens while decreasing the expenses of offering such services.�
Citizens wishing to check the status of their return can go to: http://www.ri.gov/taxation/refund/ starting April 1st.
About RI.gov: RI.gov is Rhode Island’s homepage and official Website (www.ri.gov), a collaborative effort between the state of Rhode Island and New England Interactive.