Virginia 2018 Tax Deadline Approaches

VIRGINIA — Many taxpayers who tried to submit their returns online Tuesday encountered problems due to an outage that struck the website of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As a result, people have an extra day to file their taxes.

The new tax deadline for 2018 is midnight at the end of Wednesday, April 18. People do not have to do anything to qualify for the April 18 deadline.

Those who used paper to file were not impacted.

Taxpayers who need more time beyond April 18 can file for an extension until Oct. 15; taxes owed are still due in April.

While some other states had to extend their deadlines for state returns, that was not the case in Virginia, where the income tax filing deadline does not coincide with the federal one.

The Virginia Department of Taxation's deadline to file 2017 Virginia tax returns is Tuesday, May 1.

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The outage at the IRS was attributed to a hardware issue that required a system reboot, according to NPR.

Electronic filing is the fastest way for a taxpayer to get their refund. With direct deposit, a refund goes directly into a taxpayer's bank account.

How to file

There are several e-file options:

• IRS Free File or Virginia Free File
• Virginia Free Fillable Forms
• If you don't qualify for free online filing options, you can still file your return electronically with the help of commercial tax preparation software. View approved software options.
• Tax professional.

Before you file, the IRS has these tips to help you.

• Gather your records. Make sure you have all your tax records. This includes receipts, canceled checks and other records that support income, deductions or tax credits that you claim. If you purchased health insurance through the Marketplace, you will need the information in Form 1095-A to file.
• Report all your income. You will need to report your income from all of your Forms W-2, Wage and Tax Statements, Forms 1099 and any other income – even if you don't receive a statement – when you file your tax return.
• Try IRS Free File. Free File is available only on IRS.gov. If you made $62,000 or less, you can use free tax software to file your federal return. If you earned more, you can use Free File Fillable Forms, an electronic version of IRS paper forms.
• Try IRS e-file. Electronic filing is the best way to file a tax return. It's accurate, safe and easy. If you owe taxes, you have the option to e-file early and pay by April 18 to avoid penalties and interest.
• Use Direct Deposit. The fastest and safest way to get your refund is to combine e-file with direct deposit. The IRS issues more than nine out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days.
• Review your return. Mistakes slow down your tax refund. If you file a paper return, be sure to check all Social Security numbers. That's one of the most common errors.
• Visit IRS.gov. The website has forms and other info you need to file your tax return. Click on the "Filing" icon for links to filing tips, answers to frequently asked questions and IRS forms and publications. The IRS has many online tools on IRS.gov to help you file and answer your tax questions. The tool gives the same answers that an IRS representative would give over the phone.

Getting refunds

To make sure that refunds go to the rightful owners, Virginia tax employees review all individual income tax returns. Every return the agency receives is different, so processing times will vary.
General refund processing times during filing season:

• Electronically filed returns: Up to 4 weeks
• Paper filed returns: Up to 8 weeks
• Returns sent by certified mail: Allow an additional 3 weeks

The Virginia Department of Taxation offers steps to make processing your return go more smoothly.

Warnings About Tax Scams

Taxpayers are encouraged to visit Refund Fraud Prevention on the Virginia department's website to find out how to protect themselves from refund fraud, steps to take if they think they are victims of identity theft, and how to reduce chances that their tax returns are stopped for review.

How taxpayers can protect themselves:

• Do not provide personal information by mail, phone, email, or text to an unknown person.
• File your tax return early - and file electronically.
• Be sure you have all W-2s and other withholding statements before you file.
• Include your Virginia driver's license number or Virginia identification card number and issue date on your return.
• Watch for signs that an unauthorized person may have filed a return using your name or Social Security number:
  • More than one tax return was filed using your Social Security number.
  • You receive an unexpected assessment or notice indicating that you owe additional tax.
  • You receive a federal or state tax refund that you didn't request.
  • You had collection actions taken against you that you didn't expect, and the information doesn't appear to be valid.
  • The IRS notified you that a false federal return was filed.
• Since December 2015, the department has issued personal identification numbers (PINs) to taxpayers identified as possible victims of identity theft. These PINs serve as another way to verify the taxpayer's identity when they file their individual income tax returns. If you are a victim of identity theft and need to file a Virginia income tax return, you can request a Virginia Tax PIN.

A sophisticated phone scam targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, has been making the rounds throughout the country. Callers claim to be IRS employees, using fake names and bogus IRS identification badge numbers. They may know a lot about their targets, and they usually alter the caller ID to make it look like the IRS is calling, authorities say.

Victims are told they owe money to the IRS and it must be paid promptly through a gift card or wire transfer. Victims may be threatened with arrest, deportation or suspension of a business or driver's license. In many cases, the caller becomes hostile and insulting. Taxpayers may be told they have a refund due to try to trick them into sharing private information. If the phone isn't answered, the scammers often leave an "urgent" callback request.

The IRS does not do any of the following:

• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone or call to demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. Generally, the IRS will first mail you a bill if you owe any taxes.
• Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.
• Demand payment without giving you an opportunity to question/appeal the amount they say you owe.

IRS officials also warn taxpayers to be alert to phone and email phishing scams that try to trick victims into divulging their personal information. The IRS says it has been working with the tax industry and state revenue departments to continue strengthening processing systems to protect taxpayers from identity theft and refund fraud.

Scammers will call or email taxpayers to verify the last four digits of their Social Security number by clicking on a link provided in an email, which claims that recent data breaches across the nation may be involved.
Government offices do not send emails like this, authorities said.

Taxpayers should not reply to emails requesting confidential information, especially your Social Security number, birth date, salary information or home address. If you receive an email asking for a copy of your W-2 form, you should immediately contact your employer.

How to check refund status online or by phone

Use the online tool or call 804.367.2486. Both options are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Taxpayers will need their Social Security number, tax year, and the amount of the expected refund.

Visit the department's website at www.tax.virginia.gov for more information about Virginia tax laws.

— By Elizabeth Janney and Deb Belt

Image via Shutterstock.