City extends income tax filing deadline

The Lorain city income tax filing deadline was extended to July 15 due to closures for the novel coronavirus pandemic. But that doesn’t mean people should wait to file, said Lorain Treasurer Terri Soto. Following federal actions, Ohio lawmakers, Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Taxation have extended the state’s income tax filing deadline to July 15. Cities are following suit, including Lorain, Soto said. Her office remains closed to walk-in traffic due to the possible spread of COVID-19. But Soto and her staff continue to assist city taxpayers preparing tax returns, as long as they have their appropriate tax documents available. There are a number of ways to receive assistance: • Call 440-204-1002. • Mail the tax paperwork to the office, 605 W. Fourth St., Lorain, OH 44052. • Drop the papers at the office. • Fax the tax records to 440-204-1006. • Email the office at: incometax@cityoflorain.org Soto has canceled extended open hours at her office due to the pandemic. With an extended deadline to file, Soto she likely will not have additional open times later this year. The daily and weekend mail included 84 tax returns with payment checks on March 28 and 57 returns with checks on March 30, Soto said. That is good for Lorain because income tax collections account for about 67 percent of the revenues that make up the city general fund. That money covers costs for local government services including Lorain’s police and fire protection. However, income tax return filing has been slow in 2020 compared to the same period so far in 2019. That may be due to fears of COVID-19, Soto said. For example, as of March 27, 2019, city filers sent in 7,798 tax returns. Through the same date this year, that figure dropped to 5,377 returns.