DISPUTES AND CONTESTED CLAIMS

As a part of a taxpayer’s participation in MN Afterschool Advance, all taxpayers signed the Program Participation Agreement. This agreement outlines the following stipulations, among others:

“Participation in Activities: The advance may only be used for the Student’s participation in the

Activities, and you agree to make sure the Student fulfills his or her commitments to the Activities.

Refunds of the Family Contribution or advance amount will not be issued.”

In the event a taxpayer disputes a claim, the taxpayers, Department of Revenue, MN Afterschool Advance, and Service Providers have a responsibility in this process. Refunds or cancellations are rarely offered, as taxpayers are required to sign enrollment agreements with MAA and with service providers outlining their responsibility for participating in the services. Occasionally refunds or cancellations may be made when there are extenuating circumstances.

Each taxpayer is sent copies of these agreements upon their acceptance to the program. Duplicate copies of executed agreements can be sent to taxpayers upon request.

BEFORE FILING A DISPUTE:

We know that the processes involved in MN Afterschool Advance and the MN K-12 Education Tax Credit can be complex and sometimes confusing. MAA has found that in many cases, when taxpayers are contacting us about a dispute, it’s because something about the process didn’t work the way they expected it to. For example, perhaps your tax preparer made a minor mistake when filing your claim that resulted in the repayment coming from your regular return instead of from the K-12 Education Tax Credit. In these cases, MAA can help you by reviewing your return and helping you contact the MN Department of Revenue if there are questions. If necessary, we can also provide free help with filing an amended return or appealing a decision via our partnership with Amana Financial Services. In many cases, we can resolve these issues and ensure you are getting the right refund from the MN Department of Revenue.

Before filing a dispute, and particularly if your child participated in the activity but you believe there was an error with the tax filing process, please contact our MAA Community Navigator who specialized in taxes:

Lisa Lennox-Sagbo
Phone: 612-440-9342
Email: maanavigator3@youthprise.org

FILE A DISPUTE:

In order to dispute a claim or a refund that was assigned back to MN Afterschool Advance & Venn Foundation, beginning in September 2023, taxpayers must formally dispute the claim in writing to MN Afterschool Advance. This process is outlined below.

Taxpayers will have 60 days after receiving the notice from the Department of Revenue regarding the claim to file a dispute. Exceptions to the 60-day rule will only be made through the calendar year 2023. Beginning in February 1, 2024, this rule will be enforced.

Disputes can be submitted utilizing our online form, found below.

Once you have submitted a dispute, MAA has up to 30 days to respond. During this period, MAA will work with the service provider to collect additional information, such as attendance records or enrollment agreements. We may also reach out to you to learn more if we need additional details about your situation. Once a decision or resolution is determined, MAA will follow up in writing with an explanation and copies of supporting documentation, along with additional information about next steps.

In the event you are owed a refund: Due to the complex flow of funding, refunds may take up to 6 weeks to be distributed back to taxpayers. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but are unable to make exceptions or changes to this process.