CHARLESTON, W.Va.—State Tax Commissioner Christopher G. Morris today reminds all West Virginians to file their 2008 personal income tax returns by midnight Wednesday, April 15, 2009.
For those West Virginia Taxpayers who have yet to file, electronic filing or e-filing may be the best option. “By e-filing, not only will you meet the deadline, your return will be processed quicker and if you’re due a refund, it will be returned to you sooner,” State Tax Commissioner Christopher G. Morris said. “Paper returns must be postmarked by midnight.”
As of April 13, 2008, the West Virginia State Tax Department has processed over 396,000 electronic personal income tax returns and an additional 145,000 paper returns for a total of 545,000 returns processed. The average refund amount is $276.46 for this year. That’s $48 more than the average refund last year. Thus far this year, the State Tax Department has issued more than $105.7 million dollars in tax refunds to Taxpayers.
If a West Virginia Taxpayer is not going to make the filing deadline, he or she must file an application for extension of time to file the tax return by midnight, April 15. “If you will owe the State, you must pay what’s due with that extension request,” Morris explained, “Remember it is an extension to file, not an extension to pay what you owe.”
The West Virginia Application for Extension of Time to File form is Schedule L. You may file the Schedule L form to request a 6 month extension of time to file your 2008 West Virginia personal income tax return. The new filing deadline, with extension, would be October 15, 2009. The schedule L can be found in the personal income tax booklet with all instructions.
If you obtain an extension of time to file your federal income tax return, you are automatically allowed the same extension of time to file your West Virginia income tax return. Enter on your West Virginia return the date to which the federal extension was granted. If a federal extension was granted electronically, write “Federal Extension Granted” and the confirmation number at the top of the West Virginia return. Enter the extended due date in the appropriate box. A copy of Federal Schedule 4868 must be enclosed with your return. If you need an extension of time for West Virginia purposes but not for federal purposes, or if you expect to owe tax to West Virginia, you must submit a completed West Virginia Application for Extension of Time to File (Schedule L) and pay any tax expected to be due.
Taxpayers can file their returns electronically by logging online to www.wvtax.gov. Help is available at the Charleston Taxpayer Services Center located at 1206 Quarrier Street from 8:30am until 5:00pm Monday thru Friday.