More than 20 million phone calls have been logged by California’s Middle Class Tax Refund debit card vendor since the payment distribution began last fall.
The data provided by Money Network is divided between two phone numbers, one for frequently asked questions (800-542-9332) and the other (800-240-0223) for debit card activation and replacement of lost or stolen cards.
Since November, many readers have shared with us their “agonizing” time stuck in the Money Network’s phone tree, calling it “unacceptable,” “beyond frustrating” and “a debacle.”
“I have had the pleasure of wasting my time calling the Money Network to finally get to a human who is absolutely no help!” reader Tina wrote us, quite sarcastically.
READ MORE: Here’s another way to check your payment status
Our suggestion this week: If you’re still struggling to find your Middle Class Tax Refund, try getting up close and personal with the Franchise Tax Board.
The agency operates several “field offices” where taxpayers can book appointments for help with their taxes, payments and refunds.
Several readers who have reached out (all of them at their wit’s end about their missing MCTR payments) found some form of resolution after contacting their FTB field office.
One reader who landed an appointment Thursday exclaimed via text: “A real person, even before I could get my earbuds in!”
Those numbers are:
Los Angeles: 213-897-5196
Oakland: 510-622-4693
Sacramento: 916-227-6822
San Diego: 619-688-2550
Santa Ana: 714-558-4505
Refund recap
California’s inflation refund is nearing the end of its distribution with $9 billion approved for delivery to 16.6 million California taxpayers either by direct deposit or debit card. Payments range from $200 to $1,050, depending on the recipient’s annual adjusted gross income, which must be less than $500,000.
MCTR FAQs: Can I get paper check instead of debit card?
Most of the payments, specifically 9.4 million, went out as debit…
Read the full article here
