MADISON, WI (WTAQ) – The tax filing deadline was pushed back again this year, but that extended deadline is quickly approaching.
The usual start for tax filing lands in mid-January, and the traditional due date is April 15th. But that wasn’t the case this year.
“E-filing started February 12th, which is a very, very late start. Moving the due date back to May 17th was probably helpful because it still gave people three months that file their returns,” said Department of Revenue Director of Tax Operations, Erin Egan. “We were hearing from practitioners and some small businesses about all the things going on related to the pandemic and businesses being closed. They needed a little bit more time to get their records together to file.”
As of this past weekend, Egan says the department has received 2.65 million income and homestead returns for the year. They typically see about 3.2 million, so about 82% of filings are in. For those who still have to file, Egan has a suggestion.
“Strongly think about filing electronically if they could, it’s a far more effective and efficient way to get your tax refund,” Egan said. “Electronically filed returns tend to process a lot faster. The paper filed returns can take 8 to 12 weeks to get your refund, so E-filing is better if you want to get your refund back.”
If you are still filing by mail, it has to be postmarked to arrive by Monday.
