The Illinois Department of Revenue will begin accepting 2018 state individual income tax returns on Monday, Jan. 28, the same date that the Internal Revenue Service begins accepting federal individual income tax returns.

IDOR is reminding taxpayers that filing tax returns electronically and requesting direct deposit into a checking or savings account is still the fastest, most secure way to receive a refund.

IDOR’s continued focus on identity theft and fraud prevention resulted in the prevention of more than $66 million in refund fraud in 2018. IDOR will continue to work with the Internal Revenue Service and other states to strengthen protections for tax payers from tax fraud and identity theft.

Check Out MyTax Illinois

As a part of IDOR’s ongoing fraud prevention efforts, taxpayers who receive an identity verification letter may now authenticate electronically through IDOR’s free online account management program, MyTax Illinois.

In the past, identity authentication required written documentation sent via paper mail, creating a time-consuming process for the taxpayer and IDOR.

MyTax Illinois will begin accepting individual income tax returns on Jan. 28. Taxpayers can file their Forms IL-1040 for free using MyTax Illinois.  Individuals may also use MyTax Illinois to make payments, check the status of their Illinois Individual Income Tax refunds using the Where’s My Refund?

link, and look up their IL-PINs, amounts of any estimated tax payments they have made, and (when necessary) amounts reported on Form1099-G.

IDOR anticipates direct deposit refunds will be issued approximately four weeks from the time an error-free electronically-filed return is submitted.

For the most up-to-date information, forms, schedules, and instructions for the 2018 tax year, please visit IDOR’s website at: tax.illinois.gov.

66% Got Refunds Last Year

Tax refund document and dollars on table

In calendar year 2018, more than 6 million individual income tax returns were filed with IDOR. Of those, 86 percent were filed electronically.

More than 4 million, or 66 percent of those who filed an individual income tax return received a refund.

2018 anti-fraud and identity theft detection and prevention efforts led to an increase of $37.2 million in verified savings when compared to 2017.

The filing deadline to submit 2018 individual income tax returns or file an Automatic Extension Payment (IL-505-I) is Monday, April 15, 2019.

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SOURCE: state of Illinois news release