Simplify Tax Season Using an Array of New York State Services

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today reminded taxpayers to take advantage of the full suite of services it offers to ease their filing tasks, from online resources to in-person guidance.

“These resources—designed to accommodate a range of taxpayer needs—drive efficiency, saving the public time and money,” said Acting Commissioner Nonie Manion. “Our aim is to ease the filing process and ensure error-free returns, allowing us to quickly issue any refunds due.”

An overview of some of online services and other resources follow, but visit the NYS Tax Department’s website at www.tax.ny.gov for more information.

Refund updates: Access the Check your refund status! page or sign up for email alerts. You’ll receive the same information available from our call center—without the wait.

Free e-filing. We provide access to free tax preparation and e-filing software at our website: www.tax.ny.gov (search: freefile2017) for those with adjusted gross household income of $66,000 or less in 2017.

In-person assistance. We offer Free tax assistance sites for those with adjusted gross household income of $66,000 or less in 2017. The sites provide free resources so those eligible can electronically prepare and file both their state and federal tax returns. Tax employees are on hand to guide taxpayers through the tax software.

Tax preparer guidance. We provide ways to verify your tax preparer and review the Consumer Bill of Rights Regarding Tax Preparers.

View last year’s refund amount. If you received a NYS income tax refund last year, you may want to view your 1099-G information. You can view and print your Form 1099-G using our 1099-G web application. For more, visit our Form 1099-G webpage.

Online payment service. If you don’t pay by making an electronic funds withdrawal when e-filing, you can use our Online Services (OLS) to make a payment directly from your bank account (free) or by credit card (2.25% convenience fee). This will save you the trouble of printing a voucher and mailing a check or money order. For more information, visit our Make a personal income tax return payment online page.

Quick Pay. If you receive a bill after you file your return, you can pay directly from a bank account using our Quick Pay tool without having an Online Services account. For more information, visit our Pay a bill or notice page.

Power of Attorney web application. Those who wish to appoint an individual or individuals to represent them before the Tax Department should file Form POA-1, Power of Attorney, by using our web application accessible from an Online Services account. For more information, visit our Form POA-1, Power of Attorney page.

When we need more information to process a return, the easiest and fastest way for a taxpayer to provide it is by using the “Respond to Department Notice” online service. You can provide explanations, attach documentation, and receive instant confirmation that your response was received.

If you receive a bill or a notice after you file your return, you can also use this service to disagree and submit additional information or documentation.

For more information, visit our Respond to your notice or bill online and I recieved a letter pages.

If you do decide to put pen to paper, despite the many benefits of e-filing, the Tax Department’s enhanced fill-in forms will help reduce filing errors and speed processing with automatic calculations and labor-saving barcodes. Enhanced Resident and Nonresident and part-year resident income tax return and popular credit forms are available on The Tax Department website.

If you can’t file by April 17, apply for an extension of time to file. An extension doesn’t provide more time to pay taxes owed. You must still pay the properly estimated tax you owe by the original due date of the return. 

Source: The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance