The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance is encouraging state taxpayers to e-file and have any refund due directly deposited into their bank accounts, which could get them any refund two weeks earlier than other methods.
“There are three surefire ways to receive your refund as quickly as possible,” Acting Commissioner Nonie Manion said in a prepared statement. “First, file an accurate return free of errors or omissions, then choose e-file and direct deposit. This way, you’ll receive your refund up to two weeks sooner compared with filing on paper and having a check mailed to your home.”
To use direct deposit, check “direct deposit” on a tax return, then enter one’s bank’s nine-digit routing number and account number. For checking accounts, this information is available on checks. For savings accounts, contact the bank.
Free tax assistance sites are open to help eligible taxpayers e-file their income tax returns and claim valuable credits. Taxpayers with adjusted gross household incomes of $66,000 or less in 2017 may use free, software to electronically prepare and file both their state and federal tax returns.
Eligible taxpayers don’t need to visit a site. They can also access and use the same Free File software anytime from their computer, smartphone, or tablet at www.tax.ny.gov.
Taxpayers can view the status of their state tax refund anytime by using the “Check your Refund” tool on the tax department website: www.tax.ny.gov. It is updated daily.
Taxpayers can also find out when their refund will be issued by signing up for tax department email alerts. Visit the Tax Department homepage at www.tax.ny.gov and select subscribe at the bottom of the page.
For those who don’t have a computer or smart phone, the tax department’s automated refund status phone line is available any time at 518-457-5149.
