Illinois Dept. of Revenue encourages people to file taxes for free online

SPRINGFIELD - Nearly 300,000 Illinois taxpayers have already simplified their lives this year by filing their state taxes electronically, including more than 21,000 who used the department's free online WebFile program.

"Two out of three taxpayers will get a state tax refund," said Revenue Director Brian Hamer.  "The easiest and fastest way for a taxpayer to get that refund is by filing electronically."

Illinois has options for those who use a tax preparer, those who use tax preparation software packages, as well as for those who do their own taxes, Hamer said.

"We built our WebFile system because we think all taxpayers should have a free electronic option," said Hamer.  "It requires no special software, and taxpayers who try it tell us they are pleased at how easy it is to use."

Taxpayers who file their tax returns electronically and have their refunds direct deposited into their bank accounts will see their refunds in a week; those who file paper returns will have to wait while their returns are mailed, opened, sorted, and data entered, all manual processes that can take weeks.

So far this year 293,000 Illinoisans have filed their tax returns electronically, an increase of 6.7 percent over the same period last year.

Besides fast refunds, taxpayers who file electronically will make fewer mistakes that delay refunds, will get a confirmation number that proves that they filed, and can enjoy the convenience of filing from home.

Electronic returns and electronic refunds travel over secure connections directly to the Department of Revenue's computers without chance of being lost or misplaced in the mail. 

Taxpayers can get more information on electronic filing by visiting www.tax.illinois.gov.