Dollars & Sense: More Than 27,000 People Sign Up For MyRefund
CHICAGO, IL – Since the launch of Comptroller Topinka’s MyRefund website, more than 27,000 people have signed up to receive notifications by email or text indicating when their Illinois tax refund is on the way. Of those participating, more than 18,000 people have already been notified about their payments.
The easy-to-use resource allows taxpayers to see if their payment has been processed by the Comptroller’s Office by simply entering their name and Social Security number on the new website.  Taxpayers also have the opportunity to enter an email address and mobile phone number to receive notification when their payment is processed.
“Taxpayers no longer have to wonder if the check is the mail,†Topinka said. “By simply visiting illinoiscomptroller.com and submitting an email address, they can be assured that they will be notified immediately after their payment is processed.â€
Beyond registering for a tax refund notification, the resource allows residents to view a history of their refund payments, a breakdown of state spending and bill backlog information. The site also links to the Comptroller’s Office transparency websites: the Ledger and the Warehouse. Taxpayers are further offered a hotline number to call for additional information.
The Tax Refund Alert initiative is part of Topinka’s ongoing effort to make state government more transparent and accessible to taxpayers. In launching the Ledger last year, she enabled residents to click their way through everything from the state’s daily bill backlog numbers to state agency budgets and employee salaries. She then launched the Warehouse, a comprehensive database that puts Local Government financial information and tens of thousands of records at a single location for taxpayer review. Last month Topinka announced that her Office would include an insert in tax refunds providing residents with state spending and bill backlog information.
Each of the initiatives was completed using existing office resources.
“As we’ve shown time and again: if we can make it happen, we’re going to do it,†Topinka said of the transparency initiatives. “And as I’ve said before: we’re not done yet. So stay tuned.â€
Photo Caption: Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka
