Q: I have heard from various sources that instead of issuing refund checks, the Georgia Department of Revenue is sending Bank of America debit cards that are subject to various fees every time they are used. Is this actually taking place, and if so, can I contact the Georgia Department of Revenue to demand payment by check? What if any options are available to the average taxpayer?
—Kevin Brennan, Acworth
A: The Georgia Department of Revenue launched a pilot program this year that randomly selected more than 12,000 people to receive their Georgia 2010 income tax refunds via Bank of America bank cards. The recipients were chosen from those who had not opted to receive their refund via direct deposit. The recipients can use the cards to draw, with no fee, their refund via cash, to transfer the money to their bank account online, or purchase gas, groceries and other items, Tim Shields, director of the processing center for the Georgia Department of Revenue, told Q&A on the News. The process is safer than mailing paper checks and saves the state money because issuing the debit cards require fewer steps than processing a paper refund check, he said. They were issued through Bank of America because the state's account is with that financial institution.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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