California's franchise tax board website said over 7 million direct deposits and 9 million debit cards have been issued by Jan. 4 as part of California’s Middle Class Tax Refund.
However some Californians and San Diegans are feeling left behind.
“At this point I don't think I’m going to get it,” said Carmel Valley resident Sonia, who preferred to not use her last name.
The refund is a one-time payment to provide relief to Californians who make less than $500,000 and filed their 2020 tax return by October 2021.
“I should have qualified to receive a direct deposit based upon what they have posted on their website. And I tried calling for clarification, but it's not any more clear when you call. And you can't talk to a person,” Sonia said.
California District 76 Assemblymember Brian Maienschein sent a statement to KPBS regarding the delays:
"This setback in distributing the Middle Class Tax Refund should not be happening, and I am sorry to hear that some have faced delays," Maienschein said.
His district covers Carmel Valley, where Sonia lives.
Maienschein added, "I encourage any constituents of mine who have not received their payments to contact my office.”
Sonia said the rollout has been clunky and she’s still waiting on her funds.
“It’s more about confidence in the government, in our California state government doing what they say they're going to do,” Sonia said.
The payments range from $400 to $1,050 for couples filing jointly and $200 to $700 for other individuals, depending on income level and claimed dependents.
Sonia said she was supposed to qualify for direct deposit by November at latest — but she still hasn't received the money.
“I filed it on time and I haven't moved in a very long time so none of those variances would apply to my situation,” the Carmel Valley resident said.
The California state website has updated their timeline to reflect that debit card recipients who changed their address since 2020 may now have to wait until mid-February to be mailed their payments.
