Oregon Department of Revenue Tax Filing Season Begins – Help Filing Taxes in Medford

MEDFORD, Ore. — As processing of state and federal income tax forms kicks off for 2023 today, the Oregon Department of Revenue has offered tax filing help, especially with electronic filing. April 15, 2024, is the filing deadline.

Encouraging electronic filing, the Oregon Department of Revenue (ODR) will no longer be mailing Form 1099-G to taxpayers. The form is the reporting of the amount of refunds, credits, or other offsets of personal income that must be listed statewide by transit individuals, Lane transit self-employment, or TriMet transit self-employment tax during the previous tax year.

ODR indicated that only people who itemized deductions on their 2022 tax year federal income tax return must download a Form 1099-G when filing their 2023 tax year return. These taxpayers can view and download their Form 1099-G at Revenue Online. People who received Paid Leave Oregon benefits or unemployment insurance in 2023, will be sent a separate 1099-G by the Oregon Employment Department by January 31.

ODR’s office in Medford is open between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays but is closed for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary, but usage of their computer to file taxes is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Although ODR employees cannot help prepare returns, they can answer basic questions.

To help taxpayers, this year ODR is offering Direct File Oregon, allowing taxpayers to file their Form OR-40 through Revenue Online. ODR confirmed that Direct File Oregon is not currently linked with the IRS Direct File, so taxpayers must file a separate federal return with the IRS before filing an Oregon return through Direct File Oregon at Revenue Online.

Oregon resident taxpayers who complete their own returns in 2024 can also file electronically for free by using one of Oregon’s free file options, such as the free-filing online option, using a kiosk at ODR’s Medford Office.

Southern Oregon taxpayers can file their returns using this special kiosk which is set up in the Medford Regional Office at 3613 Aviation Way, Suite 102. The kiosk can be used to file taxes using the free fillable forms as well as the Direct File Oregon e-file.

Megan Denison- ODR administrator of the Personal Tax and Compliance Division confirmed that the computer kiosk offers taxpayers a means to file electronically if they don’t have access to a computer, or to those who still fill out paper forms, but would like to transfer their data into one of the two available electronic options. This will help them to receive their refund sooner, according to Denison.

Guided tax preparation can also be obtained from any of the companies available for taxpayers who meet income requirements. ODR also indicated that using web links from the department’s website will help to ensure that taxpayers’ federal and state returns will be filed without cost. ODR announced today the availability of free assistance to file income tax returns from the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCA), and other community organizations to individuals who qualify. Low- to moderate-income taxpayers can also get help through AARP and CASH Oregon, and a MyFreeTaxes program is offered by United Way.

According to ODR, the Oregon Free Fillable Forms performs the basic calculations, making it ideal for taxpayers who don’t need assistance in preparing their tax returns and who want the convenience of electronic filing. The federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers a similar option for filing federal taxes electronically.

Similar to its federal counterpart, Oregon’s E-filing is the quickest way for taxpayers to get refunds due. Taxpayers who e-file their returns, requesting their refund via direct deposit, receive their refund on average two weeks before taxpayers who file paper returns and request refunds by paper checks.

The federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) anticipates more than 146,000,000 individual tax returns for 2023 to be filed, and after February 15, Oregon tax filers can check their refund status or make payments at Revenue’s website. ODR contact details are:

• Call 800-356-4222 toll-free from an Oregon prefix (English or Spanish).
• Call 503-378-4988 in Salem and outside Oregon.
• They accept relay calls for TTY (hearing or speech impaired).