A New Mexico lawmaker says attempts to crack down on tax refund fraud is delaying money to legitimate taxpayers throughout the state. Rep. Debbie Armstrong, of Albuquerque, is demanding Taxation and Revenue Secretary Demesia Padilla disclose how regulators choose which taxpayers to scrutinize.
Armstrong says she believes elderly people are being targeted, as most people with delayed returns that she's spoken to have been seniors — including her mother.
Taxation and Revenue Department spokesman Ben Cloutier says the department just received Armstrong's request and will review it.
Cloutier says the department is taking a closer look at some returns because of high rates of identity theft and return fraud. He says the department has stopped about 11 percent of all returns.
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Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com
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