Taxpayers who file their state taxes electronically are getting their state refunds in about four to five days.
The brief amount of time it takes the Montana Department of Revenue (DOR) to issue refunds on electronic returns underscores the benefit of e-filing as compared to paper filing. Currently, the wait for those who file by paper ranges from 20 to 21 days before receiving refunds. By early to mid-April when the filing rush peaks it may take up to 36 days or longer.
“The terrifically short turnaround time the department has been averaging in issuing refunds to taxpayers who file electronically should serve as encouragement to e-file. It pays off quickly,” said Revenue Department Director Mike Kadas. “Our e-service is one of the ways that we’re trying to make filing taxes as easy and beneficial as possible for Montana taxpayers.”
Taxpayers can file electronically using the department’s e-filing service, Taxpayer Access Point (TAP), or one of the many commercial e-filing products. For electronic filing options, visit http://www.revenue.mt.gov.
Employees in the department’s Information Management and Technology Division have been working extended hours and on weekends to process the paper-filed returns as quickly as possible.
The department has so far processed 195,157 individual income tax returns for the 2012 tax year including both electronic and paper returns. DOR has issued 171,763 refunds averaging $396 for a total of $68,036,107.
If taxpayers need updates about their returns, they can use a service on the DOR website called “Where’s My Refund.” This feature allows taxpayers to track their refunds and gauge when they might appear in their bank accounts or in their mailbox.
Other ways the department is trying to simplify filing and paying taxes for people include:
On the phone – Taxpayers who need help filing taxes can call the department’s call center toll free at (866) 859-2254, or in Helena at 444-6900. Regular call center hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We will be extending our call center hours during the last week of tax season. From Monday, April 8 through Friday, April 12, we will be available from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. On Monday, April 15, we will be available from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
In person – Taxpayer assistance is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Mitchell Building, 126 North Sanders in Helena, and at our Missoula office, 2681 Palmer Street. If you need help filing electronically, simply prepare your state income tax return on paper and take it to the office. There, we’ll help you e-file at no cost to you. We also invite taxpayers to visit our 56 offices in the counties. To find a location, please visit this link: http://revenue.mt.gov/abouttheagency/local_office_locations/default.mcpx
In addition, there are more than 100 volunteer tax preparation sites around the state through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and AARP Tax-Aide Montana. To find out if you qualify and to see a comprehensive listing of locations, visit http://www.montanafreefile.org. For more information, visit http://www.revenue.mt.gov.
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