Dept. of Revenue: E-filing a Time Saver as Tax Deadline Nears

Contact:  Jessica Iverson, Communications Officer, 608-261-2271



 


 


The April 15 tax deadline is only one day away and thousands of individual income tax returns have yet to be filed.  Last minute filers can still get their returns filed on time.  Thanks to electronic filing, tax preparation is faster and easier than ever.


“So far, over 60 percent of all submitted returns have been e-filed,” said Secretary of Revenue Michael L. Morgan.  “This is great news because every e-filed return saves the state 75 cents in processing costs.”


“Plus, those who e-file receive their refunds much more quickly than those who file on paper,” said Morgan.  “It’s a win-win situation.”


 


Tax processing update:
























 


This year to date (05)


Last year to date (04)


Total Returns Received


2,119,409


1,840,629


     Paper


805,375


771,748


     Electronic


1,314,034


1,068,881


Average Refund


$615


$590


  


  


 


Why e-file? 



  • Rapid refund!  E-filers who use direct deposit will receive their refund within 5 business days, no matter when they file—even if it’s right on the April 15, 2005 deadline.  Paper filers typically have to wait 8-12 weeks to receive their refund.

  • Direct Debit!  If you owe money, you can e-file your return anytime during the tax season and have the amount owed taken out of your bank account anytime before the April 15th deadline. 

  • It’s free!  Prepare your state and federal return for FREE!  Visit www.irs.gov and click on Free-File to prepare your federal return.  Then visit www.Wisconsin.gov and click on the Free-File logo to file your state tax return.  If your state return is rather complicated, other software options are available through the Department of Revenue’s website.

  • Accurate!  Once you fill in the blanks, the e-filing software will take care of the math and even pick the correct tax tables. 

  • It’s quick!  The average person takes 30 minutes to complete and submit their state tax form.

  • It’s convenient!  You can e-file any time of the day or night.

  • You know you succeed!  Get an immediate confirmation that your return was submitted successfully.

 


If a paper return is submitted, the Department of Revenue asks tax-filers to do the following to avoid the common mistakes:



  • Double check your math and tax tables

  • Attach all necessary paperwork

  • Enter numbers on the correct designated lines

 


Experienced e-filers planning to reuse their own tax preparation software should double-check the mailing and banking fields.  These fields tend to be automated and will fill in last year’s information.  If an error is submitted it will cause a delay in issuing a refund.


  


 


For those who need assistance preparing their taxes but cannot afford a tax practitioner, free tax assistance is available at  Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites.To find a VITA site near you, call 1-800-829-1040 (sponsored by the IRS) or visit www.dor.state.wi.us and type in VITA in the search engine for a listing.