I'm going through this process now, as well.
I am aware that you provide tax exemption beforehand typically, but once locked into a subscription it should not be so painful -- or impossible -- to retroactively apply the exemption. It should also not be a requirement to speak with someone over the phone.
Once I submit the document to get the refund and that's "accepted," the account should be modified to remove the tax charges going forward.
I take full responsibility for not noticing or paying attention to the fact that for whatever reason I'm taxed by Adobe - in literally all of my internet purchasing this is the first time I have been taxed for it - but processing a refund and setting the account straight shouldn't be an exceptional task given the nature of the product.
As TxEnergy151 said, it should be a lot clearer when signing up that you're saving yourself tons of headache if you go down a very specific path towards subscribing.
At this point I'm likely going to cancel and resubscribe via phone as that is easier than going through this regular process of hunting down the refund periodically (which is what the online help sounds like to me).
Complaints aside, my question is: is that refund process when using the online payment method automatic once verified as tax exempt? Why can't you be clearer about how/when that occurs?
It is not ideal to be taxed and then refunded for us.