2023 Electronic Individual Income Tax Season Officially Starts

The Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR) announced the start of the 2023 electronic tax season for 2022 tax year returns on Monday. The deadline for taxpayers to file their 2022 taxes is Tuesday, April 18th. This is due to the April 15th deadline falling on a weekend and April 16th being designated as District of Columbia Emancipation Day in Washington D.C.

The ADOR is emphasizing the benefits of electronic filing and direct deposit, as it is the most secure and efficient way to get a refund. Last year, over 3.4 million individual income tax returns were filed electronically, with an average turnaround time of nine days for refunds, compared to 56 days for paper filings. The department's website has a list of software providers approved to submit electronically filed returns.

Taxpayers who meet certain criteria may be eligible for the Arizona Free File Alliance program, which provides fast, safe, and free tax preparation software. The program allows taxpayers to choose from multiple free file offerings through logos on the ADOR website.

The department takes additional fraud prevention measures to ensure tax refunds are issued to the correct individuals. In fiscal year 2022, the Department's Criminal Investigations Unit stopped more than $46 million in fraudulent refunds. Taxpayers are advised to e-file and designate any refund for direct deposit to their bank, verify they are using the correct tax year form, ensure all necessary lines and forms are filled out properly, and double-check that they have all the necessary information and supporting documentation.