CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Tax Day 2024 has come and gone, but many Virgin Islanders who filed are still waiting for their tax refunds from last year.
Governor Albert Bryan said last month that the government cannot afford to continue refunding taxpayers, and cash shortages are keeping tax refunds in government coffers.
“We’re trying to get some out before Carnival,” in late April, Bryan said.
“I think it’s pretty public information that we have a cash crisis in the government, so right now we’re just trying to make sure that we pay vendors and that we catch up on our allotments,” he added at the time.
St. Thomas Carnival season events have already started, and there has been no sign of additional refund checks.
Bryan did not address the status of tax refunds at press conferences held Monday, and several people commented on the Facebook livestreams, asking when refunds will be paid.
Government House spokespeople have not responded to questions about tax refunds from The Daily News, which were sent via text message on Monday and Tuesday.
The federal Internal Revenue Service issues refunds for “complete and accurate paper tax returns” about six to eight weeks from the date IRS receives the filing, according to the IRS website. “If you file your return electronically, your refund should be issued in less than three weeks, even faster when you choose direct deposit.”
Meanwhile, the V.I. Internal Revenue Bureau has long struggled to make timely tax refunds payments. Bryan has made the issue a major talking point of his administration, and the government has caught up on years worth of overdue payments.
But many are still waiting for overdue checks, and it’s unclear when tax refunds will be paid for the most recent round of filings.
By SUZANNE CARLSON/V.I. Daily News