Tax season officially begins

Thousands of Arkansans will be filing in upcoming weeks

By DON WILBURN

donaldfwilburn@gmail.com

It is said that only two things are certain in life and at least one, which seems to happen way to often, is of_cially upon us.

The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), in coordination with the federal government, of_cially began accepting 2024 income tax returns on Monday, marking the start of the state’s tax _ling season. Arkansas residents have until April 15 to submit their state and federal tax returns.

Last year, the DFA processed 1,517,637 individual income tax returns, an increase of 59,000 over the previous year. Of those, more than 1 million refunds were issued. Of_cials noted that nearly 93 percent of all returns were _led electronically, with only 7 percent submitted on paper.

To make the _ling process easier, Arkansas residents can track their refund status online through the Arkansas Taxpayer Access Point (ATAP). The state also participates in the Free File Alliance, a partnership with the IRS that provides free tax preparation software to qualifying taxpayers.

Of_cials encourage taxpayers to _le early and electronically to ensure faster processing and quicker refunds.