We’d like to answer St. Thomas resident Renata Platenberg’s Answer Desk question concerning when she’s likely to see her 2010 and 2011 income tax refunds, but after nearly a week of trying, we weren’t able to pry the answer out of the Internal Revenue Bureau.
First we tried IRB attorney Tammy Smalls. She usually answers questions from the media but she passed this one along to Director Claudette Watson-Anderson. No answer. After we tried again another day, the operator put us through to Deputy Director Richard Prendergast because she said Watson-Anderson was out of the office for much of the day.
No luck. Prendergast said to call Watson-Anderson, and he’d leave a message and send an email. Still no answer but the Source kept trying. And on one of those days last week, no one answered the phone, and on another, the phone wouldn’t connect. Still we persevered.
Still no answer by the end of the week. This brings us to this week. The operator at the St. Thomas office said Monday that Watson-Anderson was gone for much of the day but she was expected back. She didn’t return the message.
Tuesday, the operator said Watson-Anderson was in the St. Croix office. She connected us through. After learning who was calling and what we wanted, the person who answered the phone in what was presumably Watson-Anderson’s office said she was busy and would have to call back.
This was around 9:15 a.m. We called the St. Thomas main number three times later that afternoon, but no one answered the phone.
So we’re left to advise Platenberg, and all those other people waiting for their refunds, not to hold their breath. Just like the answers to our phone calls, they might come some day.
