New Yorkers who filed their 2019 federal tax refunds weeks ago complain that the state Tax Department is foot-dragging in delivering thousands of dollars of refunds owed them amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Staten Island retiree Robert Feuerstein said New York State owes him “thousands of dollars.”

“It’s not a drop in the bucket to me,” Feuerstein, 73, an Eltingville resident and former Rudin Management executive told the Post Wednesday.

“I happen to use direct deposit, which should be easier for them.”

Feuerstein said he could use the money to serve as a bridge to help his family through the public health crisis.

His son, Justin, is an electrician who is out of work because virtually all the construction jobs have shut down to comply with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s coronavirus social distancing rules.

“The stock market has cost me obviously. Things are a little tight right now,” Feuerstein said.

Feuerstein also said “many friends are on their sixth week since electronically filing with no updates available on the automated hot line.”

Other taxpayers who filed electronically in February and check the status of their refund on the Tax Department’s online portal get a vague statement that says: “We received your return and it may require further review. This may result in your New York State return taking longer to process than your federal return. No further information is available at this time.”

All wage earners have been given an extension to July 15 to file their federal and local taxes, although those who are due a refund can file earlier and are supposed to get their refund shortly after they file.

Feurstein said he understands state government is under financial stress, with businesses closed and tax collections drying up.

“This is unprecedented. I understand the severity of it. I understand the state is crunched,” he said.

“I can understand that. But at least give us an answer. Are they being held up because the state is broke? New budget not signed? Trouble with the computer system at the comptrollers office or simply because they are holding the money,” Feurstein asked.

But the state Tax Department insisted that it’s not sitting on refunds and that it’s processing of returns is “very close” to what it would be “under normal circumstances.”

To date, state tax auditors have processed more than 7 million returns and issued 3.3 million refunds, said Tax Department spokesman Darren Dopp.

“Nobody thinks of Tax Dept employees in warm and fuzzy ways, but they have continued to do their job during a very difficult time,”Dopp said, adding, “Given all that’s going on, these results are extraordinary.”

Dopp said the Tax Department typically processes about 11 million returns per year and collects $119 billion in revenue for the state. It issued 7 million refunds to taxpayers last year.

Cuomo two weeks ago ordered non-essential employees to work from home and the Tax Department reduced the number of people in its offices by 80 percent to stem the spread of COVID-19- — which happened to be the peak of the filing and processing season for tax returns.

The department estimated it might have processed 3.5 million refunds instead of 3.3 million at this time — under normal circumstances.

“Bottom line: We’re doing the best we can,” Dopp said.

Cuomo said state tax revenues could drop by $15 billion because of the economic blow caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.