Illinois tax refunds delayed, some residents say; Department of Revenue says it's working hard despite coronavirus pandemic

Some are still waiting on their Illinois tax refunds, according to complaints the I-Team continues to receive.

The I-Team has been reporting on IRS tax refund delays, but some people are also waiting on Illinois to issue their state refunds.

A lot of people don't know this, but the IRS owes you interest if they don't send your tax refund by a certain date.

"My husband and I filed our state taxes in February. We are still awaiting our refund," one viewer said. "I called to check the status of our state refund last week and they said they were still processing."

The Illinois Department of Revenue did reply to a request for comment.

"Despite the impact of COVID-19, the Department continued to process and issue refunds in a timely manner. As of Monday, the Department has issued 3.3 million refunds, totaling $1.4 billion to taxpayers," it said.

The Department said "Some returns require more information or verification to complete the return, and taxpayers should be alert for any correspondence from the Department."

The Department of Revenue says its goal has always been to process returns within a month of receiving them. If any taxpayer is experiencing a delay longer than that, it most likely means there is an issue with the return, and they should contact the Department directly.

READ THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE'S FULL STATEMENT HERE:

"Despite the impact of COVID-19, the Department of Revenue continued to process and issue refunds in a timely manner. As of Monday, the Department has issued 3.3 million refunds, totaling $1.4 billion to taxpayers. Some returns require more information or verification to complete the return, and taxpayers should be alert for any correspondence from the Department.

"For those who have not yet filed, the fastest way to get a refund is to file electronically and request direct deposit. Last year, 88% of taxpayers filed electronically.

"Taxpayers can check on the status of their refund by using the "Where's My Refund" tool on our website (specifically at mytax.illinois.gov. Our goal has always been to process returns within a month of receiving them. If any taxpayer is experiencing a delay longer than that, it most likely means there is an issue with the return and we invite them to contact us directly. Interest begins accruing 90 days after a return is filed with the Department.

"We recently issued a press release on the upcoming July 15 deadline: https://www2.illinois.gov/Pages/news-item.aspx?ReleaseID=21787."