Angry about delays in receiving your state income tax refund? Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger has a bill for you.

From a news release:

This week, Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) filed a bill to address the problem taxpayers are facing getting a timely refund from their tax returns from state government. For two consecutive years, taxpayers including small businesses struggling with their cash flow and working to make payroll have been subjected to weeks and even months of delays in receiving a refund on state government?s over-collection of taxes.

The bill would require the Department of Revenue to pay a ten percent penalty in addition to interest if a tax refund is not paid within 45 days after the return is filed. The bill would be effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2009.

Senator Berger made the following statement:

?Taxpayers and small businesses due refunds are facing unnecessary and unreasonable delays from the Department of Revenue.  This is just another area where poor fiscal management is evident in state government. Hopefully, this bill will provide sufficient incentive for the Perdue administration to promptly return money to taxpayers.?