Some vehicle owners outside the Regional Transit Authority who incorrectly made Sound Transit motor vehicle excise tax payments will receive refunds from Sound Transit and the Washington State Department of Licensing within the next one to two months.

Refunds will be sent automatically to vehicle owners who live within zip codes that include addresses both inside and outside the district. The refunds, which date to July 1, 2005, total between $3 million and $3.5 million. Affected vehicle owners won’t have to apply for refunds.

State Auditor Brian Sonntag’s office identified the unacceptable level of incorrect vehicle license renewal billings. The approximately 40,000 vehicle renewals that were wrongly paid in the one-year renewal cycle between summer 2007 and summer 2008 represent an error rate of about 1.5 percent, while the total number of vehicles registered inside the Sound Transit District boundaries amounts to about 2.5 million.

The DOL collects Sound Transit’s 0.3 percent MVET supporting regional mass transit services throughout Central Puget Sound. DOL is working to change its process for issuing renewal notices to ensure a high level of accuracy.

Refunds will be made for all MVET transactions with taxpayers residing outside the RTA boundary in accordance with state law. Some 95,000 transactions between July 1, 2005 and June 30, 2008, amounting to between $3 million and $3.5 million, will be refunded. All transactions after June 30, 2008 will be reviewed, and where the MVET was paid in error, those payments will also be refunded.

People with questions may call 1-877-755-4550, e-mail main@soundtransit.org or visit www.soundtransit.org, where information about the Sound Transit District is located under the “About Us” menu at top right.