SALEM, Ore. -- Oregon taxpayers who claim their "kicker" tax rebates were mistakenly donated to the State School Fund will get their money back.

Nearly 6,000 got thank-you letters instead of checks even though they had not checked a box on their tax forms making the donation to Oregon schools.

About 3,000 people have called or e-mailed the state to complain about their kickers -- about a quarter of the 12,000 people who donated to the fund.

 Background: What went wrong?

 Poll: Did you get your kicker?

Deputy Director Susan Browning said Thursday the department determined that the law only applied to people who voluntarily make that choice.

"In this case, these taxpayers are telling us they did not make the choice to donate," Browning said.

State officials are investigating whether a glitch with tax preparation software could have caused the problem. But the software companies are reporting that their products are working fine.

Here’s how to get your money back:

Make a copy of only the front page of your 2006 Oregon tax return (Form 40S, 40, 40P, or 40N) that shows the "donate kicker" box is not checked.

Write "kicker" plainly across the top of the page.

On the back of the tax return copy, write: "I certify that I did not check the box to donate my tax year 2006 kicker to the State School Fund."

Sign and legibly print your name and the date. If you filed a joint return, both spouses must sign and date.  

Mail (don't e-mail or fax) only that page of your tax return with your signed statement on the back, along with the letter, to Oregon Department of Revenue, P.O. Box 14600, Salem, OR, 97309-5049.

The envelope must be postmarked by February 1, 2008.

The department will send the taxpayer their check within three to four weeks after it receives this information. The department said taxpayers who owe a debt on which the state collects may receive a smaller-than-expected kicker check.

You can check the state Web site or call 1-800-356-4222 (toll-free from an Oregon prefix); 503-378-4988 for help.