Valley taxpayers getting notices of mistakes

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Some valley taxpayers have been receiving letters indicating mistakes have been corrected on their return.

One thing you don't want to do is rush into making a sudden payment for an amount which might not be correct.

Instead of receiving a state income tax refund check, some people have been receiving a Notice of Tax Return Change. Thousands of them have been sent out by the Franchise Tax Board. Spokesperson Tami Grimes explained, "There could be a math error. It could be missing a document or information could be on the wrong line on a tax calculator."

Assemblymember Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) said, "This is the time of year these letters are sent out. Most of them change the tax liability by increasing the tax to the taxpayer."

Patterson helped a Clovis couple who received a notice saying they owed $2,500.

They were expecting a $1,600 refund but asked for Patterson's assistance because they faced a 10 day deadline to pay up. It turned out the Franchise Tax Board miscalculated the return.

Patterson said, "Now that's good for the taxpayer and that released a difficult circumstance but I came away wondering why can't a taxpayer get a one-hour answer."

Grimes told Action News if you don't agree with the tax return change you can go to the Franchise Tax Board website and sign into "MyFTB."

You can also call (800) 852-5711, but when we went to the site we saw there was a three-hour wait.

If you're having difficulty with the process, you can send an email to the Franchise Tax Board for assistance.