Roxann Hughes spent almost a year trying to track down a $1,300 tax refund that disappeared due to a clerical mistake. What followed, she said, was a frustrating cycle of paperwork, delays, and unanswered requests.
“$1,300 is a lot, but my husband said, ’Don’t get worked up over it. Don’t get ulcers over it,’ and then I’d be OK. But then you just wake up one morning, and you’re like, ‘No, I’m not OK,’ this is not right. This is our money. We want it. We don’t want them to have it.”
The issue began after Hughes and her family filed their 2024 taxes in February of last year. According to Hughes, their tax preparer mistakenly entered the wrong bank account information for their refund. The IRS initially sent the money to a Bank of America account even though Hughes used Truist. Bank of America eventually returned the money to the IRS.
But getting it back proved difficult.
“IRS confirmed they had it and that a bond would be going out to us, but it would take 60 days. Okay, so we waited 60 days, then we called back. And then it’s like you didn’t do enough paperwork. So now you’ve got to wait four more weeks because we have to submit it. And it just kept going on and on.”
Turning to elected officials for help
Hughes said she then turned to her congressman, Daniel Webster, after seeing claims that his office had helped recover millions of dollars for constituents dealing with IRS, VA, and Social Security issues.
She reached out by email and received a response from an intern, but said the assistance she expected never materialized.
“I definitely fell through the cracks. I kind of thought, I’m gonna be able to get this and resolve it, and I’m gonna be good. You know? And it was very disappointing. Very disappointing. When you have to keep calling them, and they’re like, we already sent a reminder to the IRS, we’re going to send another reminder. It didn’t seem like they were really helping.”
News 6 steps in
Then Hughes saw a News 6 report about another constituent struggling to get help from the same congressional office. Michael Fell, a retired teacher, said he kept receiving confusing responses from Webster’s office that were unrelated to his issue, including one email referencing the “SHOWER” Act.
“Now, I like showers as much as the next guy, but I don’t care about that. We care about this healthcare situation that we’re in,” Fell said in the report.
After seeing that story, Hughes reached out to News 6. Special Projects Producer Robert Breuer used his contacts within the IRS to connect Hughes with the appropriate channels. Within weeks, Hughes said, the issue was resolved, and her refund was returned, with interest, for a total of $1,449.67.
Hughes told Breuer before the interview, “I’m so glad to meet you! Thank you for everything you’ve done.”
When Austin asked Hughes if she still had the check, she replied, “Oh no, we deposited it that day.”
Congressman’s office responds
News 6 reached out to Webster’s office for comment. A spokesman claimed one of their staff members had already resolved the inquiry.
However, Hughes said the office did not contact her until after News 6 had already helped resolve the issue.
In a follow-up to the earlier case involving Michael Fell, he was eventually able to meet one-on-one with Webster after our story aired. However, Fell said he remained dissatisfied and did not believe meaningful changes would result.
Tips for viewers
If you have a similar issue with a delayed refund after filing your taxes, the IRS suggests the following tips:
Set up (or sign in to) your IRS online account to see the latest updates on your tax situation.
If you are unable to access your account online or if that does not resolve your issue, you may be able to get help through the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS).
Call the IRS for an in-person appointment at your nearest Taxpayer Assistance Center: 844-545-5640.
When prompted, say you need an appointment; once you explain the issue, an IRS caseworker may be able to review your account while you are on the phone and provide an update.