West Virginians can now submit their federal tax returns for 2024 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Federal tax season opened Jan. 27 and ends April 15. During this window, U.S. residents must report the income they received in 2024 to the IRS. The agency then reviews whether residents must pay additional tax dollars, or will receive a refund for overpaying taxes in 2024.
Nearly one million West Virginia residents are expected to file a federal tax return this year, according to IRS Public Affairs Officer Rodney Bearman. Theirs will represent just a sliver of the more than 140 million individual tax returns that the IRS anticipates for tax year 2024.
“A complete and accurate federal tax return is all in the preparation,” Bearman said. “So, gathering all of the W-2s, bank statements, or even maybe a 1099 that comes from a third-party payer or an online marketplace. Getting all of those documents together along with social security numbers — and making sure your address is correct — is the first step in ensuring a completely accurate tax return.”
Filing taxes early can reduce the possibility of tax fraud, according to the nonprofit National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA).
Fraudsters commonly attempt to submit tax returns with stolen social security numbers to claim other residents’ refunds, according to the NCA. But filing early can prevent someone else from claiming a residents’ tax refund before they get the chance to file themself.
The IRS expects more than half of the tax returns anticipated from 2024 will be filed with the “help of a tax professional,” according to a Monday IRS press release. The agency recommends that residents use only trusted professionals for the process.
For residents who need financial support in the filing process, Bearman recommended using IRS Free File, an online resource “where eligible taxpayers are able to get connected with free tax software that allows them to file their federal income taxes electronically.”
For residents who make $67,000 or less, have disabilities, are not native English speakers or are age 60 or older, Bearman said the IRS offers additional resources to support the filing process, like the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly programs.
Bearman said most eligible residents can expect to receive a tax refund within 21 days of submitting their individual tax return. The IRS hosts a “Where’s My Refund?” webpage where applicants can check the status of their refund.
For more information on filing tax returns and resources to facilitate the process, Bearman recommends that residents visit the IRS website.