The Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet is alerting Kentuckians to the possible impact federal changes could have for anybody who files their taxes between April 1 and April 15.
Governor Andy Beshear said during Thursday’s Team Kentucky Update that federal changes at the United States Postal Service mean the postmark on your mailed tax return may no longer match the day you dropped it off at your post office. As the postmark date is used to determine timely filing, the delayed postmarking could trigger penalties or interest for taxpayers.
Beshear said there are a few options available to avoid issues.
“You can file electronically to avoid any concern about it at all,” Beshear said. “In general, we encourage electronic filing because you’ll get your refunds faster. You can also mail early, at least a few days before the deadline. You can request a manual postmark at the post office, or you can use certified or registered mail for proof of mailing.”
Beshear also said new national requirements for fraud prevention will go into effect on April 1, and to receive your refund by direct deposit the name on your tax return must exactly match the name on your bank account.
“Otherwise, a paper check will be mailed,” Beshear said. “So if Andrew is on one of mine, but Andy is on the other, they could not, under this new tool for fraud prevention which is a requirement from the federal government, do a direct deposit.”
Visit the Kentucky Department of Revenue’s website for more information and taxpayer resources.
