The General Treasurer of Rhode Island is Seth Magaziner. When the state pays its bills, his signature (along with that of State Controller Peter Keenan) appears on the checks that are issued. Imagine the surprise when some business owners received tax refunds and instead of Mr. Magaziner’s signature, they looked down and saw “Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney.” Oops.
“As a result of a technical error in the Division of Taxation’s automated refund check printing system, approximately 176 checks with invalid signature lines were printed and mailed to taxpayers on Monday 7/27/2020. The invalid signature lines were incorrectly sourced from the Division’s test print files,” said Jade Borgeson, Chief of Staff for the [Rhode Island] Department of Revenue.
The checks were issued for business tax refunds, and impacted taxpayers are being contacted and presumably replacement checks are being issued.
On a more serious note, what should you do if you receive a tax refund you’re not due? I’ve had clients who receive such erroneous refunds. Do not cash the checks: If the money is not due to you, you’re not allowed to keep the funds. Contact the tax agency that sent you the refund, and follow their instructions to return the check.