Virginia individual income tax filing season underway

Virginia Tax is announcing that tax filing season is underway in Virginia. Effective immediately, taxpayers can begin filing their individual income tax returns.

“Last year, of the more than 4.4 million returns submitted and processed in Virginia, 85% were filed electronically,” Tax Commissioner Craig M. Burns said. “This year, we strongly encourage you to file electronically as well and request a refund, if you have one coming, via direct deposit. That’s especially important now because, due to COVID-19 workplace protocols, it could take longer than what’s typical to process a paper return.”

Generally, it takes up to four weeks to process an electronically-filed return and up to eight weeks to process a paper return.

Although Virginia Tax has started processing returns, the Virginia General Assembly is continuing to make decisions about the state’s conformity to the federal tax code. That means some taxpayers, depending on their situation, may need to file an amended return once those questions are resolved.

Here are some steps you can take to help make sure your return and refund aren’t delayed:

• Gather all W-2s, 1099s and other withholding information before filing your return;
• New this year:Because Virginia’s tax laws changed, you may receive a 1099-K form if a third-party settlement organization paid you $600 or more in a taxable year. Money received as a contractor/gig worker must be reported as income;
• Include your Virginia driver’s license or Virginia identification card number on your return. Returns that don’t have that information won’t be rejected, but providing it helps get the return processed more quickly;
• Be sure the spelling of your name(s), Social Security number(s) and all calculations are correct; and
• If you moved since you filed your last return, use your current address.

For secure, online self-service you can create and log onto an online individual account. This allows you to track your return or refund. You can also check the status of your refund by calling 804.367.2486, or using the Where’s My Refund application on the Virginia Tax website.