The Executive Office Building (EOB) in Utulei.
The Treasury has been quietly releasing tax refund checks supposedly for ASG employees who have a medical emergency.
Our sources say that about 50 tax refund checks have been issued since late January when ASG employees began filing their taxes.
Tax Office Manager Richard Jimmerson referred our queries to the Treasurer’s Office.
But we have not been able to reach Treasurer Ueligitone Tonumaipe’a as according to staff he hasn’t kept a full work schedule and is in meetings when he does come to the office.
KHJ News has received confirmation from senior ASG employees who handle finances that the Treasurer has signed off on the release of tax refund checks for ASG employees who require medical treatment off island or have immediate family members who need medical attention.
According to our sources, in nearly all of the cases of early refund release that the Treasury has disbursed, a note from the Governor’s Office to the Treasurer precedes the issuance of the check.
Yesterday, the Treasury received a note from the Governor’s Office to process a refund check for a person whose immediate family member has died in the mainland.
The check was promptly processed after the Treasurer gave his approval.
Our sources say only the Treasurer can answer our questions about whether there’s any verification that the recipient getting the refund check does indeed have a medical reason necessitating early release of their refund.
When KHJ News checked with the Tax Office two weeks ago as to when refunds would be issued we were told that the system has to undergo an upgrade after which paper work for Additional Child Tax Credit checks will be submitted to the US Treasury, then checks would be released when US Treasury approves the funds.
As of yesterday, cannery workers and private sector employees who had filed before ASG employees received their W2 forms, were still waiting for their refund checks.
