2023 Electronic Individual Income Tax Season Officially Starts

January 24, 2023

Phoenix, AZ—The Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR) today announced the beginning of Arizona's 2023 electronic tax season for 2022 tax year returns. Improving the customer experience is a major objective of the Department, and the information below is intended to help taxpayers more easily and securely file income taxes during the tax season.

The deadline for taxpayers to file 2022 taxes is Tuesday, April 18. Officially, it is April 15, but with the date falling on the weekend and with Monday, April 16, being District of Columbia Emancipation Day in Washington D.C., the last day to file tax returns is April 18.

Electronic Filing and Direct Deposit

There is no advantage to filing a paper return instead of filing electronically. E-file software offers easy step-by-step instructions, assists in detecting costly errors before filing, and you can receive your refund in as little as two weeks with direct deposit. You can still e-file and pay electronically by mid-April to avoid penalties and interest if you owe.

Choosing electronic filing and direct deposit is the most secure and efficient way to get a refund.

Last year, more than 3.4 million individual income tax returns were filed electronically, with an average of about nine days to turn around a tax refund, compared to 56 days for refunds from paper filings.

Visit our website to see the list of software providers approved to submit electronically filed returns with the Department.

Direct deposit is an easy and convenient way to get your refund. You can put your banking information on your tax return and get your refund deposited into your bank account, not worrying and waiting on your refund check in the mail. Direct deposit is available to you whether you file your return electronically or by mail.

Free File Alliance

The Arizona Free Alliance program may be for you if you meet certain criteria to receive fast, safe, and free tax preparation software. Arizona Free File Alliance allows taxpayers to choose from multiple free file offerings through the logos on the ADOR website, where they can use the free service to prepare and file their returns electronically.

ADOR diligently works to process income tax refunds as quickly as possible. However, please be advised:

If you file electronically and choose direct deposit, you can look for your refund within a couple of weeks* of the return acceptance.
If you file a paper return, you can anticipate your refund within 6-8 weeks* from the date you filed.

*Some tax returns need extra review for accuracy and to protect taxpayers from fraud and identity theft; therefore, extra processing time may be necessary.

Fraud Prevention

Due to the constant threat of tax fraud and refund theft, ADOR takes additional fraud prevention measurements 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. Visit our website to learn more about identity theft.

To avoid delays, here are some tips for taxpayers:

E-file and designate any refund for direct deposit to your bank.
If filing a paper return, use fillable forms, and print with black ink and on white paper. Fillable forms do the math for you and are scanned into our system for quicker processing and ADOR staff do not have to interpret handwriting.
Verify you are using the correct tax year form by looking at the upper right corner.
Ensure all the necessary lines and forms are filled out properly.
Make sure to spell names correctly or use two different names.
Confirm essential information like your tax ID number, Social Security number, routing number, or account number is correct in all the appropriate boxes.
Double-check to ensure you have all the information and supporting documentation, and include all pages that have information entering your name and tax id number on the top of each page. ADOR cannot process incomplete tax returns.
Do not staple any items to the return. Refrain from stapling any documents, schedules, or payments to your return.
Remember to sign and date your return.
If sending a paper payment, include your voucher, as the Department needs your Social Security number, employee identification number, and the tax period and type to process your payment.

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Tuesday, January 24, 2023