Status of Mailing Delays

The Where’s My Refund application is now available, but information may be limited for taxpayers expecting a paper refund check. Taxpayers may contact our Customer Service Division at 1-877-252-3052 for any other questions about their account.

NCDOR continues to review and monitor a comprehensive plan to print and mail all refund checks and notices impacted by the interruption in print and mail services. Inserts will be included with refund checks and notices explaining the delay and providing additional information and guidance as needed.

Professional Mail Services was the only vendor used for print and mail services for refund checks and notices. NCDOR also has some capacity to print notices and refund checks onsite.

No. Direct deposit refunds are not affected. As of July 3, over 2.25 million direct deposit refunds have been issued for tax year 2024.

Common reasons that may cause delays:

• We found a math error on your return or have to make another adjustment. If our adjustment causes a change to your refund amount, you will receive a notice.
• You used more than one form type to complete your return. The form type is identified in the top left corner of your return. We will return your state tax return for you to complete using the correct form type before we can process your return. 
• Your return was missing information or incomplete. Sometimes returns are missing information such as signatures, ID numbers, bank account information, W-2s, or 1099s. We will contact you to request this information so we can process your return. Please respond quickly so we can continue processing your return.
• Your return was selected for additional review. As refund fraud resulting from identify theft has become more widespread, we’re taking extra steps to review all individual income tax returns we receive to be sure refunds go to the rightful owners. Additional safeguards can mean that it takes us longer to process your refund. However, our goal is to stop fraudulent refunds before they’re issued, not to slow down your refund.

For refunds taking longer to process due to missing or incorrect information, identity verification or other reasons, phone representatives are unable to provide additional information until at least 60 days after filing your return.  
 

No. Some individual income taxpayers file electronically but request a paper refund check. 

If taxpayers requested direct deposit refunds, their refunds are not impacted. If taxpayers filed electronically, but requested a paper refund check, there may be delays.

Approximately 300,000 individual income and business refund checks and 420,000 notices were impacted.

NCDOR is diligently working to print and mail all refund checks and notices. 

Mailing of impacted refund checks resumed on May 21, 2025. Over 93% of the refund checks have been mailed. NCDOR is working to issue the remaining refund checks as quickly as possible.

As of August 1, NCDOR has mailed most notices impacted by the print and mail delays. NCDOR is working to issue the remaining notices as quickly as possible.

Delinquent notices that were impacted by the interruption in print and mail services are now being mailed. If you have not filed the return or corresponded with NCDOR to address the delinquency, the notice is still valid. 

Updates will be posted to the website as details are confirmed. NCDOR will communicate when all impacted refunds and notices have been mailed.  

NCDOR has contracted with a new print and mail services vendor and is working to implement these services.

As of June 30, the Department has issued approximately 475,000 individual income refund checks during 2025.

NCDOR has used print and mail services from Professional Mail Services since 2014.

No other printing services were impacted.

There is cost associated with changing operations. The financial impact is still being analyzed.

Invoices for services provided by the vendor are being reviewed along with terms of the contract.   

NCDOR confirmed on May 12 that the print vendor unexpectedly ceased operations. We do not have information regarding the circumstances which led to the vendor’s decision to cease operations. 

In 2024, approximately 465,000 individual income refund checks were generated for tax year 2023, which represents approximately 15% of refunds issued.

You may contact Customer Service at 1-877-252-3052 and an agent will assist in providing your account number and information regarding how to file.

No. Refunds and notices for these taxes are not affected.