Revenue Department Extends Hours to Help Late-Season Tax Filers, Reminds Taxpayers of Benefits of Electronic Filing

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 7, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania tax filers in need of late-season tax help will benefit from extended service hours offered by the Department of Revenue's Taxpayer Service and Information Center, the department announced today.

On weekdays from Wednesday, April 8 through Wednesday, April 15, the center will be open from 7:30 AM to 7 PM. It will also operate from 8 AM to 4 PM on Saturday, April 11. The center is closed on Sundays.

The Taxpayer Service and Information Center offers taxpayers personal income tax assistance through the Online Customer Service Center at www.revenue.pa.gov and by phone at 717-787-8201.

In addition to addressing account-specific questions regarding how to file personal income tax, staff can answer questions about department's electronic filing options, which offer advantages not available to taxpayers filing by paper, including error-reducing automatic calculators, instant confirmation of successful filing, faster refund processing, and direct deposit options. E-filing is also more cost-effective for the department, as electronically filed returns are less expensive to process and don't require department printing or mailing. 

Electronic filing options that are available this year and accessible from www.revenue.pa.gov include:

• padirectfile, Pennsylvania's free state-only, Web-based income tax filing system;
• FreeFile software options, which provide income-qualifying taxpayers opportunity to file federal and state returns simultaneously for free, using industry leading software;
• FreeFile fillable forms, online versions of tax forms designed for people comfortable preparing their own returns; and
• the Fed/State e-file program, available to those who prefer electronically filing state and federal tax returns for a fee, using software available from leading vendors.

Taxpayers have until midnight, Wednesday, April 15, to file income tax returns.

Taxpayers with annual incomes of $35,000 or less may also visit a Revenue district office, identified in the government pages of local phone directories, for basic state personal income tax filing help. Help at district offices is available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and taxpayers are encouraged to bring their Social Security cards with them to facilitate tax filing.

MEDIA CONTACT: Elizabeth Brassell, 717-787-6960

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Revenue

Related Links

http://www.governor.state.pa.us