Up to the Minute...

Press Release
April 7, 2006

Income Tax Filing Deadline Coming Up Fast;
More Oklahomans Taking Advantage of E-File and Faster Refunds

Taxpayers who have not filed their income taxes yet have an extra two days this year. Oklahoma income tax forms are due April 17 th rather than the usual April 15 th deadline. Although taxpayers have an extra two days to file their income taxes this year more people are filing early and getting their refunds back quickly.

As of the first of April, the Oklahoma Tax Commission had processed more than 810,000 income tax returns. Of this total, over 64% of these income tax returns have been filed electronically. Electronic filing is the best and fastest way to file your income taxes and this years figures represent an increase of more than 18,000 returns over this time last year.

Just over 86% of Oklahoma taxpayers have received refunds so far this tax season. Currently the average refund for tax year 2005 is $414.59. The Oklahoma Tax Commission is processing refunds with taxpayers who took advantage of e-file receiving their refund in an average of eight to ten days. Taxpayers who are filing paper returns are receiving their refunds in an average of six weeks.

Another relatively new filing method at the Oklahoma Tax Commission is 2-D barcode income tax filing. Introduced in tax year 2004, almost 58,000 taxpayers have taken advantage of this filing format this tax season. This method involves a return arriving at the Tax Commission in a paper format with a two dimensional barcode in the upper right corner that once scanned inputs all tax documents information into the Tax Commission systems.

The Oklahoma Tax Commission has had electronic filing methods available for the last 11 income tax filing seasons. Not only does the Agency accept income tax returns and payments electronically, but many of the main business taxes can be filed electronically through the QuickTax system. On average, 55,000 businesses are using the QuickTax system each month to file and pay their business taxes. The system is available 24 hours a day and accepts sales, use, withholding, waste tire and gross productions returns and payments.

The Agency’s website can also assist taxpayer 24 hours a day with downloadable forms, fill-in forms, electronic filing and online payment methods.