News Release
January 27, 2005 - Columbus,
Ohio - The Early Returns Are In:
Ohio Taxpayers Flocking to Electronic Filing
COLUMBUS (January 26, 2005) – Ohio taxpayers, most eager to
claim a tax refund, are filing their
returns electronically at a record rate – up 39 percent this
year from the same period last year. As of January 25th,
128,112 taxpayers had filed their state income tax return
electronically, an increase of 49,855 from the same point
last year.
Ohio Tax Commissioner William W. Wilkins says electronic
filing delivers more than just refunds. He
says it produces benefits for everyone, “All of us want to
hold down government spending,” Wilkins
said, adding, “and when people file their Ohio individual
income tax returns electronically, it cuts our
expenses considerably.” It costs the Ohio Department of
Taxation (ODT) approximately $1.15 to
process an electronic return compared to $3 for a paper one.
Wilkins said last year almost half of the 5.2 million income
tax returns filed came in electronically, saving about $2.1
million. This year he wants to push those numbers even
higher, “Some states, like Michigan, are mandating electronic
filing for higher-volume tax preparers. We’d like to see the
program grow on a voluntary basis first. Electronic filing
makes sense for everyone involved.”
Wilkins noted there are several ways to file Ohio income tax
returns electronically. Taxpayers can file on-line using Ohio
I-File, available at the ODT web site (tax.ohio.gov). They
can file through a tax practitioner or with any number of
commercially available tax preparation software programs.
In addition to saving taxpayer dollars, Wilkins said
electronic filing offers many other advantages:
- It employs the highest level of computer security.
- It delivers the quickest refunds – usually in five to
seven days – when the taxpayer chooses
direct deposit to their bank account.
- Ohio I-File (and TeleFile) has no fee. Most tax
preparation programs charge extra for filing an electronic
return with Ohio.
- Fewer errors. Ohio I-File does the math and finds the
correct tax rate.
One new feature this year is that Ohio I-File offers
electronic filing of the school district income tax for
residents of the 133 Ohio school districts that had an income
tax in 2004.
Wilkins said the rapid pace of filing electronic returns
probably will slow between now and April 15 but added he’s
confident that Ohio will remain one of the top five states in
the country in paperless returns, “Our goal is to have 80% of
our returns come in electronically.” Wilkins said. “Getting
rid of paper completely isn’t realistic at this point. But I
would say to paper filers, on the basis of the cost savings
alone, to please consider filing electronically this year, or
ask their tax preparer to send their returns in
electronically. It’s good for them and good for every
taxpayer in Ohio.”
Fact Sheet: 2004's Most Important Tax Tip-File Your
Return Electronically! (PDF)
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(For more information, contact Gary Gudmundson, ODT
Communications Director, at (614) 644-6903.)