MADISON, WI (WTAQ) — Tax season is officially underway.
The IRS started accepting tax filings on Monday. Wisconsin Department of Revenue Secretary Peter Barca says it’s going to be a good year for taxpayers.
“People will see that their tax obligations have gone down this year because Wisconsin had its largest tax decrease in terms of nominal dollars in its history and one of the largest as a percent,” Barca told WTAQ. “For tax year 2020 the average refund was right around $800, but thanks to the tax decrease from the legislature and Governor Tony Evers, they’re going to see a higher refund.”
That decrease came from the state budget. Barca says many taxpayers will see higher refunds this year as withholding was only changed this month to adjust for the new tax rates.
One nefarious group that had Monday circled on their calendars, Barca says, are refund fraudsters.
“We spend millions of dollars every year to protect people’s identities and try to stay one step ahead of the fraudsters who are trying to intercept refunds,” Barca said. “If someone gets a call saying that ‘this is the Wisconsin Department of Revenue’, and they didn’t get a letter from us, they can assume that fraud is taking place.”
He says unless the DOR or IRS have contacted you by mail, they’re not going to call you. There are a list of ways to protect yourself from fraud at revenue.wi.gov.
