DOR News – March 2023

Massachusetts Department of Revenue matters of interest for March 2023.

Come Out and See Us Today Weather Permitting!

DOR staff will be joining our partners from Greater Boston Legal Services and the IRS Taxpayer Advocate’s office today, March 15, 2023, at a special event, answering taxpayer questions and offering assistance. Stop by or share with your network or clients in the area.

Conforming to IRS Code

Check out the recently-issued TIR 23-5 to learn more about recent legislation conforming the personal income tax to the IRS Code as of January 1, 2022. We’ve also updated this webpage on the differences between Massachusetts and federal tax treatment of personal income that’s worth bookmarking.

Don’t Forget Your Credits

Be sure to take advantage of available credits this season. If you are taking care of a child, dependent or person with a disability, you may be eligible for one of the Dependent Care and Household Dependent credits. Note that if you qualify for both credits, you can only claim the greater of the two. For taxpayers who are 65 years of age or older, the Circuit Breaker credit may be available if you rent or own a Massachusetts principal residence. And don’t forget about the Earned Income Tax Credit for low- to moderate-income workers and families.

Name Mismatch on Returns

We’ve noticed that some taxpayers and practitioners are not entering a taxpayer’s full first name on their personal income tax return. We urge you to include a taxpayer’s full legal name on the return – failure to do so will result in a delay in processing.

Meet “Ask MA”

We’re always looking for ways to assist taxpayers. Recently, we launched the new “Ask MA” chat feature on our website. On select DOR pages, visitors will see a question bubble on the lower right-hand corner where they can ask questions and be pointed to the corresponding answer on mass.gov/dor. The plan is to roll the chat feature out to all DOR pages this year.

Refresher on Amending a Return and Filing an Appeal

Take a look at the redesigned Amend and Appeal pages on the DOR website. For those taxpayers needing information on when and how to amend a return, including updated options for how to amend a personal income tax return, or how and when to file an appeal (abatement), these are great resources.

Friendly Reminder: 3/15 Due Date

Some important filings or payments due today, March 15:

• Corporate Estimated Taxes
• Partnership (Form 3)
• S Corporation (Form 355S)
• Extension Payments (including 63D)

These returns must be e-filed and payments must be made electronically in accordance with DOR requirements. Make sure to include the federal return with your filing.

Check the Status of Your Refund – The Tool for You

As we near the homestretch of the income tax filing season, we want to remind everyone of the Check the Status of Your Refund option on MassTaxConnect. Updated nightly, this option allows you to track the refund process from start to finish. All you need are a few pieces of information. It’s available 24/7

Sharing the Knowledge

Tell a friend or colleague that one of the best lists in the Commonwealth is the DOR mailing list. Just like you are now, your colleagues can enjoy access to tax news updates, blog posts and this newsletter, DOR News. We want to make sure all taxpayers and tax professionals have the information they need.

Prior DOR News issues

If you missed a prior issue, visit DOR News. Also check out DOR's Tax Professionals page.

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