Be on the lookout for an Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles claim form in the mail.
The BMV has begun sending out claim forms to residents who are entitled to Excise Tax refunds dating back to 2004. The agency says all claim forms will be mailed within the next 30 days.
Current estimates indicate that the BMV will issue about $29 million in excise tax refunds, plus interest.
About 180,000, or 3.5 percent, of the 5.1 million Hoosiers who registered vehicles with the BMV since 2004 are entitled to refunds. Everyone eligible for a refund will receive a claim form in the mail. It is anticipated that claims will be processed within 30 days of receipt.
"The BMV will use all reasonable measures to locate everyone entitled to a refund, including follow-up mailings and the use of national databases to locate individuals who may have moved outside of Indiana,: said Commissioner Don Snemis. "In addition, the BMV is developing a website that will allow anyone entitled to a refund to print a claim form. The website will include instructions on where to send the form."
If the BMV is unable to locate individuals entitled to refunds, despite all reasonable efforts, the agency will work with the Indiana Attorney General's office and turn those refunds over to the Indiana Unclaimed Property program.
"We regret that the error was made and we are committed to finding and fixing any issues related to fees and taxes," said Snemis. "The BMV has already taken several steps to enhance institutional controls and minimize the chance of future errors. These will provide clarity and ensure stability in the BMV's role of administering fees and collecting taxes."
In response to the mistake, the BMV is using BKD's Enterprise Risk Solutions (ERS) team to examine and report upon the BMV's processes and procedures for calculating and charging taxes and fees. This supplements work previously performed by the BMV and outside legal counsel. The BKD team will be led by BKD's ERS regional practice lead, Christie L. Clements, CISA, CRMA, director. Clements has more than 14 years of experience, including eight years as internal audit director at a Fortune 40 company.
The BMV has reorganized responsibilities for monitoring and supervising the agency's collection of taxes and fees. The BMV's Finance Department will supervise the calculation of excise taxes and the BMV's Legal Department will be responsible for ensuring that the fees charged by the BMV are consistent with state law.
The BMV is in the process of adopting policies that require all BMV employees to report any undercharge or overcharge to the BMV's Legal Department for immediate investigation, in addition to his or her immediate supervisor.
