ATLANTA – A state Department of Revenue employee has been fired after making a mistake that caused more than 500 Georgia taxpayers to have multiple debits made from their bank accounts, officials said.
The error occurred in a system in which taxpayers initiate online payments to the department, Denise Samuel, director of the taxpayer services division, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The employee who is supposed to process the payments made an error that caused each taxpayer’s bank account to be debited multiple times.
Department spokesman Reg Lansberry said department officials quickly noticed the mistake.
“The department and the commissioner (Bart Graham) take it seriously,” he said.
Lansberry told the paper the employee responsible for the error was fired and department has notified the 527 taxpayers affected by the mistake, which happened Tuesday.
Lansberry said the agency is working the taxpayers and their banks to correct the error. He said the taxpayers will not be charged penalties or fees by the banks or anyone to whom they might have bounced a check because of the problem.
Lansberry said it is too soon to tell how much the mistake will cost the state.
“The department will, first, need to review each individual circumstance with the appropriate financial institution,” he said.
Each affected taxpayer is getting a letter of apology from the department.