Filing season for Illinois state tax returns begins next week

SPRINGFIELD (Heartland Newsfeed) — The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDoR) will start accepting state individual income tax returns for the 2017 tax year beginning next Monday, January 29, the same day the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) accepts Federal income tax returns.

IDoR is reminding taxpayers to file returns electronically and request direct deposit, as it’s still the fastest and most secure way to receive a refund, as they continue to focus on protecting taxpayers and the state government against fraud.

“The State of Illinois’ continued resolve to detect and prevent tax return fraud has resulted in an overall savings of more than $31 million in calendar year 2017 – a 52% increase from 2016,” IDoR director Connie Beard in an interview with Heartland Newsfeed. “We are protecting our taxpayers, ensuring refunds go to the correct individual, and saving money.”

While fraud prevention measures continue, IDoR anticipates refunds electronically send via direct deposit will be issue no later than a month after an error-free e-filed return was submitted.

The state’s free online account management program, MyTax Illinois, will begin accepting individual income tax returns and file their IL-1040 forms online for free. Individuals can also use the service to make tax payments and check the status of their tax refund.

Over six million individual returns were filed with IDoR in 2017, 84 percent of which were filed electronically and 66 percent of which received a refund.

Filing season will become a headache for individual and married taxpayers, as the Illinois General Assembly hiked the individual income tax to 4.95 percent from 3.75 percent on Independence Day 2017. However, most tax filers will utilize a blended rate of 4.3549 percent.

For the most up-to-date information, forms, schedules, and instructions for the 2017 tax year, please visit IDoR’s website at: tax.illinois.gov.

Jake Leonard, Executive Editor-In-Chief

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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.

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