2023 Income Tax Season Opens In MD: When To File 2022 Returns With IRS

MARYLAND — Tax season kicked off Monday, Jan. 23, when Maryland residents could begin filing their 2022 federal tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service and state returns with the comptroller's office.

In most states, including Maryland, 2022 federal income tax returns must be filed with the IRS by Tuesday, April 18. Taxpayers have an additional three days to file their returns this year because of the way holidays fall.

State income tax returns are also due April 18 in Maryland.

Comptroller Brooke Lierman said Monday that processing of personal income tax returns for tax year 2022 has begun and federal and state individual income tax returns are now being accepted. Federal and state corporate income tax return processing started on Jan. 12 in the state.

The federal and state individual income tax filing deadline is Tuesday, April 18, 2023, instead of the traditional due date because April 15 falls on a Saturday and federal offices in the District of Columbia, including the Internal Revenue Service, are closed on Monday, April 17, to observe the Emancipation Day holiday.

“Many Maryland low-wage earners rely on their income tax refunds to pay rent and put food on the table,” Lierman said in a statement. “I’m committed to ensuring that the Maryland Comptroller’s Office, which is nationally renowned for its fast and secure processing of tax returns, is responsive to taxpayers and helps put their hard-earned money back into their hands as quickly as possible.”

Taxpayers who earned $73,000 or less in 2022 can take advantage of the IRS Free File program, available only online and using brand-name software provided by commercial tax filing companies. That opened Jan. 13.

Some tax filers should wait until mid-February to file their returns, though.

Taxpayers who plan to claim an earned income tax credit or an additional child tax credit should wait until after Feb. 15 to file their returns. This is because of the 2015 PATH Act. The delay gives the IRS a chance to match information from individual tax returns with information on W-2 forms from employers, which are sent to the IRS by the end of January, to prevent identify theft and fraud.

What you need to know about filing taxes in Maryland

• Taxpayers are encouraged to file their returns electronically and use direct deposit for the fastest possible processing and to ensure they receive all possible refunds and to avoid postal service delays.
• A list of approved vendors for use in filing your electronic return can be found on the Comptroller’s website.
• Maryland taxpayers also can use the agency’s free I-File system to file state tax returns.
• Find out if you’re eligible to claim the federal and state Earned Income Tax Credits. It is a refundable tax credit that supplements the wages of workers with low to moderate incomes.
• State legislation that passed in 2021 allows qualifying taxpayers who use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to claim the Maryland Earned Income Tax Credit by filing a Maryland tax return. An ITIN enables an individual who is not eligible for a Social Security number to pay taxes, regardless of their immigration status.
• Walk-ins are welcome at any of the agency’s 11 branch offices, but tax preparation visits must be scheduled online. Virtual appointments are also available.
• Taxpayers can call 1-800-MD-TAXES or email taxhelp@marylandtaxes.gov.
• The agency’s branch offices and call centers are both open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Beginning Feb. 1, the call centers will remain open until 6 p.m., only for personal income tax assistance.
• For questions related to federal taxes, visit irs.gov or call Taxpayer Advocate Service at 443-853-6000 or 877-777-4778 (outside the Baltimore area).

Among a couple of changes to be aware of when filing 2022 tax returns:

The standard deduction increases to $12,950 for single filers and $25,900 for married couples filing jointly, up from $12,550 and $25,100, respectively, for 2021 tax returns.

Income tax brackets went up in 2022 to account for inflation, and will also increase this tax year. Tax rates per income bracket for the 2022 taxable year are:

• 10 percent: up to $10,275 for single filers, $20,550 for married couples filing jointly, $14,650 for heads of household.
• 12 percent: $10,276-$41,775 for single filers, $20,551-83,550 for married couples filing jointly and $14, $51-$55,990 for heads of household.
• 22 percent: $41,776-$89,075 for single filers, $83,551-$178,150 for married couples filing jointly and $55,991-$89,050 for heads of household.
• 24 percent: $89,076-$170,050 for single filers; $178,151-$340,100 for married couples filing jointly and $89,051-$170,150 for heads of household.
• 32 percent; $170,051-$215,950 for single filers, $340,101-$430,900 for married couples filing jointly and $170,051-$215,950 for heads of households.
• 35 percent: $215,951-$539,900 for single filers, $430,901-$647,850 for married couples filing jointly and $215,951-$539,900 for heads of household.
• 37 percent: Over $539,900 for single filers, $647,850 for married couples filing jointly and $539,900 for heads of household.

For planning purposes, the standard deduction goes up to $13,850 for single filers and $27,700 for married couples jointly filing tax returns in 2024. Also, the tax brackets will also increase in 2023 on taxes due in 2024.

The IRS expects to process most returns and make a direct deposit in the taxpayers’ bank account within 21 days of receipt of the completed tax returns. Taxpayers should check Where's My Refund? on IRS.gov for their personalized refund status.

The IRS said in a news release it hopes to provide a better experience for taxpayers after pandemic-related delays and backlogs during the last three tax filing seasons.

The agency is expected to process about 168 million individual tax returns this year. After Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act last year, the IRS hired more than 5,000 people to take tax filers’ questions over the telephone, as well as more in-person staff to help support taxpayers, according to the news release.