Taxpayers to get donations back

SALEM – Some Oregonians will find a much anticipated letter in the mailbox this week about their kicker checks.

The state is mailing out instructions to 6,800 people, explaining they may be eligible for a refund of the kicker that many thought they’d never see. The Oregon Department of Revenue is refunding money to Oregonians who filed electronically and claim that their tax rebates were donated to the State School Fund against their wishes to get their money back.

If all of those people ask for their donations back, the state will have to refund $3.9 million of the $6.7 million donated to the fund this year.

It also would pay as much as $6,324 in mailing costs.

The letter explains it all, but to get a refund, taxpayers must print out and send in the first page of their tax forms, showing that the donation box is not checked.

Department of Revenue spokeswoman Rosemary Hardin acknowledged there’s no way to prevent someone who has changed his mind about donating from simply changing the checkmark before printing out the tax form. There’s no penalty if state officials find out later that the box had been checked.

“We’re relying on people’s honesty and integrity to do the right thing,” she said.

After kicker checks began arriving in mailboxes earlier this month, complaints starting pouring in. Thousands of people contacted the state saying their rebates were donated in error.

At first, revenue officials said state law prevented them from reversing donations. On Dec. 20, they reversed that position, saying it was clear that some taxpayers did not make the choice to donate.

Hardin said state officials are trying to determine what caused the problem.