Tax season’s final week: what to know before and after filing

MADISON – The April 18 individual income tax filing deadline is only one week away.

Taxpayers who already filed and are receiving a refund may track their refund’s status on the Where’s My Refund page of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue‘s (DOR) website at revenue.wi.gov.

Taxpayers who are unable to file by April 18 may request an extension. However, if any tax is owed, it must be paid by April 18, 2022 to avoid any penalties, even if an extension was filed.

Electronic filing is encouraged as it is the fastest, most accurate and secure way to file a tax return.

As DOR continues to improve its fraud prevention measures to combat new and changing scams, the agency encourages taxpayers to do their part by protecting their personal information. Here are several ways taxpayers can protect themselves.

Use Identity Protection (IP) PINs

Taxpayers should consider signing up for the federal IP PIN at irs.gov and Wisconsin IP PIN at revenue.wi.gov. Both IP PINs help prevent unauthorized persons from using taxpayer personal information to fraudulently file federal and state returns in their names.

Be alert

Know that DOR will never call, email or text message anyone without first sending them a letter either through the mail or registered My Tax Account. A call, email or message received without having first received a letter from DOR is a red flag for a phishing scam or other fraud.

Be proactive

• Keep firewall, malware and anti-virus software up to date.
• Encrypt tax and other sensitive records stored on electronic devices.
• Use strong and unique passwords for online tax preparation accounts.
• Use two-factor authentication.
• Never send tax information through unencrypted email or a public Wi-Fi connection.
• Choose reputable tax preparers.
• File electronically.

Help is here

Free tax services through Wisconsin’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs are offered to low- to moderate-income individuals, older adults, persons with disabilities, limited English speakers and military members. Search VITA on the DOR website for details on these programs and to find the closest VITA or TCE site.

 

Hours will be extended in DOR’s Customer Service Call Center until 5:45 p.m. on April 12 and 14.

Taxpayers may also find answers to their tax questions on DOR’s Individuals page at revenue.wi.gov.

Visit the Contact Us page on the DOR website or call (608) 266-2486.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.