Deadline for filing state income tax now May 17

Illinois residents will now have until May 17 to file their individual state income taxes and to make any payments, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday.

The announcement comes one day after the Internal Revenue Service’s decision to extend the federal filing due date to the same day, saying it “wants to continue to do everything possible to help taxpayers navigate the unusual circumstances related to the pandemic.”

The state income tax extension does not apply to estimated tax payments that are due April 15, the traditional tax filing deadline.

Illinois Department of Revenue Director David Harris said the fastest way to receive a refund is to file electronically and request a direct deposit.

“The filing extension for individual income tax takes effect automatically, so no further action is required by taxpayers to take advantage,” Harris said in a statement. “For taxpayers awaiting a refund, utilize IDOR’s Where’s My Refund? to locate specific information about the status of any refund due.”

The Illinois Department of Revenue continues to process refunds for those filing prior to the deadline. The department reported 2.4 million people have already filed their returns, 79% of whom are expecting a refund.

Officials from the governor’s office said free filing of Form IL-1040 is available through the MyTax Illinois website, where tax filers can also make payments, respond to department inquiries and look up IL-PINs.