The April 18 deadline to file state and federal personal income tax returns is less than a week away, and the Oregon Department of Revenue estimates that it will receive a few hundred thousand more returns between now and then.
More than 1.1 million Oregonians have already filed their state personal income tax returns. Of those taxpayers, more than 928,000 have received refunds, with other refunds still pending. A “Where’s My Refund?” tool is available online at https://bit.ly/3upkl7w.
The department expects more than 2.2 million total returns this year, said Megan Denison, Administrator of the Personal Tax and Compliance Division.
Don’t forget about the kicker
The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis (OEA) confirmed a nearly $1.9 billion tax surplus, triggering a tax surplus credit, or “kicker,” for the 2021 tax year.
Taxpayers are eligible to claim the kicker if they filed a 2020 tax return and had tax due before credits. Even those who don’t have a filing obligation for 2021 must file a 2021 return to claim credits.
Electronic filing is the fastest way to receive refunds, but paper forms and instructions are available: Form OR-40 for full-year Oregon residents, Form OR-40-P for part-year residents, and Form OR-40-N for nonresidents. Composite and fiduciary-income tax return filers are also eligible.
A “What’s My Kicker?” calculator is available at https://bit.ly/3LS1uYo for personal income tax filers. The state may use all or portions of kickers to pay any state debt, such as tax due for other years, child support, court fines or school loans.
Do you still need to file your return?
File electronically. E-filing is the fastest way to get your tax refund. On average, taxpayers who e-file their returns and request their refund via direct deposit receive their refund sooner than those who file paper returns and request paper refund checks.
See if you qualify for free tax help. Oregon personal income tax return filers with an adjusted gross income of $73,000 or less may qualify to file both their state and federal taxes electronically for free.
There are four approved tax preparation software products that partner with Oregon to offer free electronic filing: Tax Act, OLT, 1040Now and FreeTaxUSA.com.
Each vendor has different free filing criteria, so filers should do their research and choose the best vendor to fit their needs. Read about the free options listed to see if you are eligible.
Groups including the AARP, CASH Oregon, and the United Way also provide free tax preparation services to qualifying taxpayers.
See if you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. You may be missing out on a bigger refund if you’re not claiming the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Eligibility information is available at http://www.irs.gov. Taxpayers who are eligible for the EITC can also claim Oregon’s Earned Income Credit (EIC).
Filing an extension
Individuals who are not able to file by April 18, 2022 can file an extension directly with the Oregon Department of Revenue or with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If the IRS extension is granted, the Oregon extension is automatically granted. A timely filed extension moves the federal tax filing deadline and the Oregon filing deadline to October 17, 2022.
Only request an Oregon extension if you:
Don’t have a federal extension.
Owe Oregon taxes.
Can’t file your return by April 18, 2022.
Remember that having a filing extension is not an extension to pay any tax you owe.
Visit http://www.oregon.gov/dor to get tax forms, see a list of approved tax preparation software products, check the status of your refund, or make tax payments, call 800-356-4222 toll-free (English or Spanish) or 503- 378-4988 or email [email protected]. For TTY (hearing or speech impaired), call 1 800-886-7204. Due to the number of calls Revenue receives during tax season, you may experience extended wait times.