NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — For the past five months Jim Garman and his wife have been without their $2,416 federal tax return, but 7 Problem Solvers is getting it back for them from Turbo Tax. Garman said he received the check on August 5, after months of delays.
"When they saw somebody from Channel 7 looking into this, their whole demeanor, and how they were going to handle it changed," said Garman.
In February Garman and his wife filed their federal taxes through Turbo Tax, which they have done in the past. Garman said he opted for the approximately $50 processing fee to be taken right out of the return. That fee is handled by Tax Products Group, also referred to as Santa Barbara Tax Products Group, which works with Turbo Tax.
"The IRS sends the return to Tax Products Group so then Tax Products Group takes the fee out," explained Garman.
After the fee is taken out of the tax return money is then forwarded to the consumer. However Garman never saw the money.
"IRS website says as far as they're concerned we got the money, but we haven't," said Garman.
This money is missing from his bank account at a critical time, because Garman said his wife is getting treatments at Buffalo's Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. He contacted Turbo Tax and Tax Products Group multiple times, writing that this issue has "negative effects" on him and his family, but no progress was made.
"I'm just tired of trying to chase them down," said Garman. "They're impossible to get a hold of. My brother sent a certified letter asking for a response, he didn't even get that."
7 Problem Solver Michael Schwartz tried contacting Tax Products Group, but couldn't get in touch with a representative. He did email a Turbo Tax representative who responded three hours later. The next day Garman got this email from the President's Office of Intuit, the company that owns Turbo Tax:
“ Hello James,….We received word about the issue you are experiencing with your tax refund. I wanted to see if there may be a preferred time that I could give you a call about the matter so I can help find a resolution. “
Garman responded, and then got this email back.
If you need a consumer problem solved, email Michael at 7ProblemSolvers@WKBW.com
