State income tax returns due in less than a month

Michigan taxpayers are reminded state individual income tax returns are due in less than a month, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury (Treasury).

By 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18, state income tax returns must be submitted by e-filing or postmarked through the U.S. mail. Individuals are encouraged to e-file for greater return accuracy, enabling Treasury to process refunds faster.

“Please do not wait to file your individual income tax return,” said Deputy Treasurer Glenn White, head of Treasury’s Tax Administration Group. “Taxpayers who rush to file their returns are at a higher risk for making errors and delaying refunds.”

Last year, Treasury processed more than 5 million individual income tax returns, with 3.7 million receiving more than $1.8 billion in refunds. Approximately 4 million of those income tax returns were e-filed.

After filing a Michigan return, taxpayers can check the status of their refund online by going to www.michigan.gov/wheresmyrefund. 

Limited quantities of printed tax forms have been distributed to public libraries, U.S. Post Offices in northern Michigan, Department of Health and Human Services county offices and Treasury Field Offices.

For the convenience of taxpayers, both federal and state returns are due on Tuesday, April 18.

Tax-Related

Identity Theft Protections

In an effort to protect Michigan taxpayers, Treasury continues to implement security measures to stop tax-related identity theft. As a result, some individual income tax returns may be selected for identity confirmation.

If an individual income tax return has been selected for identity confirmation, the taxpayer will receive a letter from Treasury asking them to confirm their identity by completing a short online quiz or submitting paperwork to confirm their identity. After passing the quiz, tax refunds will be issued in about a month.

For the 2015 tax year, over 33,000 returns were stopped, preventing more than $70 million in potentially fraudulent refunds from being issued by the state of Michigan.

Free Tax Help

Seniors and individuals with functional needs may qualify for free tax preparation help from IRS-trained volunteers or Tax Counseling for the Elderly preparers. For information about free tax help, go to www.michiganfreetaxhelp.org or dial 2-1-1.

To learn more about Michigan’s individual income tax or to download forms, go to www.michigan.gov/incometax. For more information about e-filing, go to www.mifastfile.org.