FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact: Cory Fong, Tax Commissioner 701-328-2770
Wednesday, December 28, 2005	Joe Becker, Supervisor, Individual Income Tax Division, 701-328-3451

INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAX FORMS IN THE MAIL

BISMARCK, N.D. – Tax Commissioner Cory Fong announced today that the Tax Department started mailing the 2005 North Dakota Individual Income Tax booklets yesterday. The booklets are mailed to about 109,000 North Dakota households this year.

“The number of booklets mailed to taxpayers has been decreasing,” said Fong, “Because so many taxpayers have started using electronic filing, or e-file, the Tax Department has been able to cut back on the number of forms that are printed and mailed.” Last year, the Tax Department mailed nearly 114,000 booklets, about five percent more than this year.

Only taxpayers who filed a paper return last year will automatically receive a booklet in the mail this year. The Tax Department is hoping more of those taxpayers will try e-file this year. Inside the booklet taxpayers will notice it promotes three methods of electronic filing: through an approved tax preparer, through their own PC using purchased software, or through an Internet on-line service. Fong indicated electronic filing provides taxpayers with more efficient processing, more accurate returns, and faster refunds.

The volume of e-filed income tax returns has been steadily rising and the Tax Department anticipates that the number will continue to grow during the 2006 filing season.

“Last year, about 45 percent (147,000) taxpayers e-filed their returns, and as a result they were able to receive their refunds much faster than those who filed a paper return,” said Fong. “Refunds for electronic returns are generally processed in about a week. On the other hand, because paper returns are processed manually the refunds for those returns can take up to four weeks to be processed.”

As with previous years’ mailing practices, taxpayers who filed their 2004 return electronically or paid a tax preparer to file their return will not receive a tax booklet in the mail.

According to Fong the Tax Department mailed booklets only to taxpayers who filed their own return on paper for 2004. Taxpayers who do not receive an Individual Income Tax booklet but would like one may call the Tax Department at 701-328-3450 and one will be sent. Banks, post offices, and tax practitioners around the state also have the booklets on hand.

Fong encourages taxpayers to check out e-filing with their tax preparer or through the Tax Department’s web site www.nd.gov/tax, or by calling the Office of State Tax Commissioner at 701-328-3450. The Tax Department’s web site at www.nd.gov/tax also contains helpful tax information and downloadable forms.

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