A printing issue is delaying tax refunds in NC. How to get yours faster
If you filed your tax return by mail in North Carolina this year, you could be waiting a while for your refund check.
According to a news release from the NC Department of Revenue (NCDOR), the agency’s printing partner, Professional Mail Services Inc., unexpectedly ceased operations and will not complete any further print or mail services.
“The department has been made aware that some notices and refund checks were not printed and mailed,” the release says. “NCDOR is in the process of identifying options to resume printing and mailing notices and refund checks as quickly as possible.”
The agency did not provide information on how many tax returns will be affected by the change. Updates will be provided as additional information becomes available, NCDOR says.
If you filed your tax refund by mail, here’s how to get your tax refund faster and how to check the status of your refund.
Fastest way to get tax refund
The fastest way to get your tax refund is to have it electronically deposited free of charge into your bank account through direct deposit, according to the IRS. Taxpayers can use it to deposit their refunds in up to three accounts.
“Eight out of 10 taxpayers get their refunds by using direct deposit,” the IRS website says. “It is simple, safe and secure. This is the same electronic transfers system used to deposit nearly 98 percent of all Social Security and Veterans Affairs benefits into millions of accounts.”
Combining electronic filing and direct deposit to file early produces the fastest refunds, according to the IRS, and some may be eligible to file electronically for free.
Smartphone apps, like TurboTax, H&R Block and TaxSlayer, can be a convenient way to file your taxes, but they usually charge a fee that can be deducted from your refund.
Can you file your tax returns online if you’ve already filed them by mail?
No. If you already filed a return by mail, the IRS will reject any e-filed return, according to H&R Block.
The rejected return could delay the time it takes the IRS to process your return, the company says. It also might take longer to receive your refund if you are owed one.
How to check tax refund status
If it has been at least four weeks since you filed a paper return, you can check on the status of your refund by calling the IRS TeleTax System at 1-800-829-4477. You will be asked to provide the first Social Security number shown on the return, your filing status and the amount of the refund. If the IRS has processed your return, the system will tell you the date your refund will be sent.
Those who file online can check the status of their returns after 24 hours have passed from the file date.
This can be done on the IRS2Go app or through the “Where’s My Refund?” tool on the IRS website. You can also check on the status of your state refund by going to The North Carolina Department of Revenue site (ncdor.gov) and clicking “Where’s My Refund?”
Tax deadline for NC
In April, The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) extended the deadline again for North Carolinians to file and pay federal tax returns, due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Helene.
North Carolina taxpayers now have until Thursday, Sept. 25.
The IRS says the new deadline applies to:
Individual income tax returns and payments normally due on April 15, 2025.
2024 contributions to IRAs and health savings accounts for eligible taxpayers.
2024 quarterly estimated tax payments normally due on Jan. 15, 2025, and 2025 estimated tax payments normally due on April 15, June 16 and Sept. 15, 2025.
Other tax returns, listed at irs.gov/newsroom.
North Carolina residents had until Thursday, May 1 to file and pay their state income taxes without penalties, according to a news release from the NC Department of Revenue.
Tax return questions, help
If you have questions about your tax return, you should contact NCDOR Customer Service at 1-877-252-3052.
This story was originally published May 15, 2025 at 11:53 AM with the headline "A printing issue is delaying tax refunds in NC. How to get yours faster."
