January 7, 2008 - TRIM has been conducting informal meetings with the Missouri Department of Revenue in an effort to increase efficiency and eliminate unnecessary work on the part of taxpayers and tax collectors.We became aware that there were a large number of sales and use tax cash bonds that rightfully belong to taxpayers, but had not been returned to taxpayers because they had not asked for a refund. Our idea was to have the DOR automatically refund those bonds, but in many cases, the taxpayers are out-of-business or have moved, so that suggestion was rejected. Also, the statute that governs the bonds seems to indicate the bonds are to be "released" but there is nothing requiring DOR to spend time looking for taxpayers that have bond money due them.
So, DOR has asked for our help in spreading the word to businesses (and former businesses). If you meet the following criteria, you may be entitled to a refund of your cash bond:
- Your business posted a cash bond when you opened a sales and/or use tax account;
AND
- Your business has completed at least two years of compliance with the tax laws and has had no delinquencies; OR
- You have closed your business and are no longer operating.
If you meet these criteria, you should complete a Bond Refund Application form (click on the link for a form) and and mail it to:
Missouri Department of Revenue
Taxation Bureau
P.O. Box 358
Jefferson City, MO 65105-0358
Or fax it to: (573) 522-1722.
If you have questions about completing this form, you may call the DOR at (573) 751-5860 or e-mail them at businesstaxregister@dor.mo.gov.
