Illinois Announces Delay in Issuing Tax Refunds

Illinois is still without a state budget, now it has been announced that Illinois will delay issuing tax refunds this tax filing season.

According to KWQC-TV, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) announced Monday that Individual Income Tax refunds for the 2016 tax filing season could be delayed until March 1, 2016.

The reason: the state says it will once again allow itself extra time examining tax returns to combat tax fraud and identity theft, the same as it did last year.

The agency says fraud prevention measures resulted in a savings of nearly $5 million last year. By delaying tax refunds by just a few weeks, it will be able better ensure tax refunds don’t wind up into the hands of criminals.

According and IDOR press release

Fraud prevention measures implemented by the Department of Revenue during last year’s tax season resulted in an overall savings of nearly $5 million that would have, otherwise, been paid,” said Connie Beard, IDOR Director. “Our new security protocols proved very beneficial in detecting and stopping fraudulently filed returns last year, and we are continuing to enhance our fraud detection efforts this year. By delaying tax refunds by just a few weeks, we’ll be able to better detect attempts at identity theft and

ensure taxpayer refunds do not fall needlessly into the hands of criminal

The fastest way to get a refund is to e-file. IDOR says that for electronic returns filed prior to March 1, 2016, refunds will be issued within two to three weeks. For electronic returns submitted error-free on or after March 1, refunds will likely be issued within two to three weeks from the date the return was submitted.

IDOR claims that the delay is not due to the state's budget impasse.

You can find more information HERE.