Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation in May to send $750 refund checks to Colorado taxpayers by September – but for thousands of people, those checks never came. 

Around 3.1 million Colorado residents who filed 2021 state taxes by June 30 were eligible to get $750 for individual tax filers and $1,500 for joint filers from the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, according to the governor’s announcement in May.

As of Thursday, just over 2,544,000 checks have been issued, including joint filers who only get one check for multiple people, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue. Of the checks, 2,344,000 have been cashed or deposited and another 57,000 were sent and later returned to the department, likely due to incorrect addresses. 

At a minimum, those 57,000 Coloradans did not receive their checks. The total number of missing checks is unclear, but could be up to 257,000 because of the checks that were not cashed but not returned. 

“The Department of Revenue understands the immediacy and are working diligently to get this money back to Coloradans,” said Meghan Tanis, communications director of the department. “Right now, we are in the process of reissuing checks for people who did not receive their initial check.”

Officials urged anyone eligible for the check who did not receive to call the Colorado Cash Back hotline at 303-951-4996 during regular business hours. From there, the department will authorize the caller’s address and reissue the check, Tanis said. The reissuing process could take up to six weeks.

Tanis said the hotline provides a streamlined process for those who are missing their checks, but residents can also fill out the form available here and mail it to the Department of Revenue, including the required supporting documents requested in the form. The mailing address is located at the bottom of the form.

Every full-time Colorado resident who was at least 18 years old on Dec. 31, 2021 was eligible to file a tax return to claim the refund. Those who filed after June 30 but before the extended deadline on Oct. 17 should get their check in January. 

Coloradans who owe a past debt to a government agency may have their checks intercepted to help pay for the debt, said Conor Cahill, spokesman for Polis. This can include unpaid student loans, parking tickets, judicial fines, child support, spousal support and more. 

The checks are also being sent exclusively by mail, not direct deposit, even if that is how one’s tax returns are set up. On the governor’s website, it said the decision to mail the checks was meant to prevent fraud. To check or update the address the rebate checks will be mailed to, residents can visit colorado.gov/revenueonline. 

The refund – dubbed the “Colorado Cash Back Rebate” by Polis – expedites the 2023 TABOR refund originally scheduled for the spring of 2023, paying back up to 85% of excess state revenue collected last year. Senate Bill 233, signed by Polis in May, created the expedited rebate program. 

The governor and Democratic leaders said the expedited refund would help Colorado families afford basic necessities such as gas and groceries amid skyrocketing prices and inflation. Republican critics have called the refund a ploy to buy votes before the November election. Cahill called that an “intellectually dishonest and cynical view.” 

More information about the refund program is available on the frequently asked questions webpage at tax.colorado.gov/cash-back. 

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story contained a specific number of people who did not get their refund checks, without taking into account joint filers.