Monday was the first day of the 2016 tax filing season in Illinois, and there are a few things to note for this time around.
Last year, Illinois prevented more than $20 million in tax fraud – almost three times as much as the year before. That’s according to Terry Horstman, spokesman for the state’s Department of Revenue.
“We know in years past that some of the fraudsters out there do like to – attempted to – file fraudulent tax returns earlier on in the tax season before other folks have had a chance to file their legitimate tax return,” Horstman said.
Horstman says there haven’t been any tax return-related scams yet.
The Illinois standard exemption allowance increased by $25 for this tax year, and the filing deadline is extended to April 18th. That’s in observance of the Emancipation Day holiday in Washington, D.C.
The Internal Revenue Service also began accepting federal tax returns Monday.
