State’s Department of Revenue offers tips as tax deadline looms

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With the deadline for filing 2016 taxes less than a month away, the Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR) has offered tips to ensure taxpayers are ready. Because of an overlap in tax deadlines and federal/state holidays, this year’s deadline will be April 18.

Tips provided by the department include:

  • To ensure that citizens are not having their identities stolen and false claims filed in their names, ADOR may send notification to taxpayers stating they are required to complete an “identity confirmation quiz.”  Anyone who receives such a quiz will be required to complete it before a return will be issued. The quiz can be completed in one of two methods. The quiz can be completed on the telephone by calling 1-800-535-9410 or online. Accessing the quiz will require the letter ID, last four digits of your Social Security number and date of birth.
  • State returns can be filed for free using My Alabama Taxes (MAT). Filing returns will require filers to sign up for a MAT username to access their income tax account, file their return, and make payments. Taxpayers can sign up online.
  • This year, filers can take advantage of a new security feature that allows an opt-in service that will notify them when ADOR receives an Individual Income Tax return that has been filed using a Social Security number. This service can help alert filers to the possibility that criminals have stolen information and are using it to steal the refund. Opt-in by logging into MAT and follow the link, “Notify Me of Filed Returns.”
  • There are two ways to check the status of a refund: Visit  https://myalabamataxes.alabama.gov, click on “Check on My Refund Status” on the left, then enter the refund amount and Social Security number or call the refund hotline number 1-855-894-7391.
  • Alabama individual and business income taxpayers are no longer required to file an Alabama extension form if they find they cannot meet their annual return filing deadline. Taxpayers will be given an automatic single six-month extension to file. The automatic extension only applies to filing a return; no extensions are granted for payment of taxes due.

The ADOR statement further notes that the best advice in terms of 2017 tax filing is to file early.

“Filing early allows taxpayers to file before the criminals,” a news release from the ADOR said. “Beat the criminals to the punch and any subsequent fraudulent return filings will be rejected.”

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