Thousands of Michiganders receive 'Notice of Adjustment' letters post tax season

Erroneous tax refund checks sent to Michigan taxpayers

Nearly 30,000 people in Michigan are dealing with this post tax season. About 27,000 error letters titled "Notice of Adjustment," along with a number of incorrect refund checks, have been mailed to unsuspecting taxpayers.

(FOX 2) - Many in Michigan are anxious for their tax refunds, but what if you got one by mistake or received a letter saying you owe more in taxes? 

It’s part of a major issue the state of Michigan is working to fix, with tens of thousands of Michiganders in the same situation.

Big picture view:

Nearly 30,000 people in Michigan are dealing with this post-tax season.

About 27,000 error letters titled "Notice of Adjustment," along with a number of incorrect refund checks, have been mailed to unsuspecting taxpayers.

Those notices tell people whether they’ll receive a smaller refund due to a state adjustment or if they owe additional taxes. The Michigan Department of Treasury says the issue stems from technical difficulties tied to a new IT system used to process 2025 state tax returns.

The bottom line: 

Experts say do not cash those checks if you receive one. Instead, contact the state to return it. FOX 2 also asked people around town what they would do if they got such a check.

"If you got a personal letter, make sure you reach out to a tax consultant, a tax expert," said business analyst Mark Lee. "I would encourage you not to cash the check until you go through due process. And again, due process is very simple go back and review your tax forms. Make sure that amount of money is consistent with what you are getting in the mail."

"Even if it was a mistake, I’d be worried that if I spent the money and had to give it back a year or two later, I would be pretty regretful," said Jennifer Evangelista. "So I think I’d look into it probably just give it back immediately so I didn’t spend money that really didn’t belong to me."

Dig deeper:

A spokesperson for the state treasury says the erroneous letters stopped being sent around April 20, but some people may still receive them as they continue moving through the mail.