STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep. One of my teachers in school said, if I give you a grade that's too high, it's my mistake. You can keep it. Sadly, this rule does not apply at the Rhode Island Department of Revenue. The state tax agency mistakenly mailed out duplicate tax refund checks. Hundreds of people received a third of a million extra dollars. The state says taxpayers can not keep the extra money. It's also promising to fix the problem, though taxpayers might be OK if they do not. You're listening to MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.