Michigan 2025 tax season: Where's my refund? How soon will state process returns?
Right now, Michigan taxpayers should not expect the headaches and refund delays that many early filers saw when filing their tax returns last year.
We're just not looking at the momentous tax changes that created a good deal of that trouble in 2024.
The Internal Revenue Service began accepting federal income tax returns at 9 a.m. Monday.
And Michigan was to begin processing state income tax returns immediately, right from the beginning of tax season, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury.
"The state of Michigan works with e-filing providers before the tax filing season opens so they can accept returns right away," according to Ron Leix, a Michigan Treasury spokesperson.
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Leix explained some of the challenges last year that triggered a high volumes of calls. Hundreds of thousands of taxpayers, for example, were wondering a year ago when they would receive extra supplemental refunds for 2022 returns that were being sent out automatically to working class families.
A then-new state law was rolling into place regarding an expanded earned income tax credit; and it was retroactive to 2022. As a result, the state was sending out the supplemental checks to those who filed 2022 returns and qualified for the earned income credit.
More:Tax season 2025: Kickoff expected to start soon. Common problems can delay refunds
Families won't see a flood of such checks going out in 2025.
Many in Michigan complained of state income tax refund delays in 2024 as the state did not start issuing some refunds until Feb. 13 last year, if tax filers took advantage of breaks related to "retirement tax rollback" or the state's substantially more generous earned income tax credit for working families.
Last year was unique due to some new tax laws going into effect in mid-February — like the Michigan earned income tax credit going from 6% to 30% and changes to the retirement tax — requiring third-party software providers to change their software," Leix said.
he Michigan income tax rate returned to 4.25% for individuals on Jan. 1, 2024. That's up from a temporary reduced rate of 4.05% that only applied to 2023.
Again, the quickest way to get a refund would be to e-file the state income tax return, too, not send it by regular mail, and opt for direct deposit into your bank account or prepaid card.
Taxpayers filing a Michigan income tax return are told to typically expect to wait up to four weeks to receive their individual income tax refunds when they e-file the return. Taxpayers filing a paper state of Michigan income tax return by mail can expect to wait up to eight weeks for a refund.
Where's my Michigan refund?
Michigan has its own "Where's My Refund?" tool online. For e-filed returns, the state treasury asks that you allow three to four weeks from the date you received confirmation that your e-filed state return was accepted before checking for information.
For paper filed returns, the state ask that you allow six to eight weeks before checking for information. See michigan.gov/taxes/iit/refund for details.
Last year, the Michigan Department of Treasury processed about 5 million tax returns. And Michigan taxpayers e-filed more than 91% of those returns.
Contact personal finance columnist Susan
We're just not looking at the momentous tax changes that created a good deal of that trouble in 2024.
The Internal Revenue Service began accepting federal income tax returns at 9 a.m. Monday.
And Michigan was to begin processing state income tax returns immediately, right from the beginning of tax season, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury.
"The state of Michigan works with e-filing providers before the tax filing season opens so they can accept returns right away," according to Ron Leix, a Michigan Treasury spokesperson.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Leix explained some of the challenges last year that triggered a high volumes of calls. Hundreds of thousands of taxpayers, for example, were wondering a year ago when they would receive extra supplemental refunds for 2022 returns that were being sent out automatically to working class families.
A then-new state law was rolling into place regarding an expanded earned income tax credit; and it was retroactive to 2022. As a result, the state was sending out the supplemental checks to those who filed 2022 returns and qualified for the earned income credit.
More:Tax season 2025: Kickoff expected to start soon. Common problems can delay refunds
Families won't see a flood of such checks going out in 2025.
Many in Michigan complained of state income tax refund delays in 2024 as the state did not start issuing some refunds until Feb. 13 last year, if tax filers took advantage of breaks related to "retirement tax rollback" or the state's substantially more generous earned income tax credit for working families.
Last year was unique due to some new tax laws going into effect in mid-February — like the Michigan earned income tax credit going from 6% to 30% and changes to the retirement tax — requiring third-party software providers to change their software," Leix said.
he Michigan income tax rate returned to 4.25% for individuals on Jan. 1, 2024. That's up from a temporary reduced rate of 4.05% that only applied to 2023.
Again, the quickest way to get a refund would be to e-file the state income tax return, too, not send it by regular mail, and opt for direct deposit into your bank account or prepaid card.
Taxpayers filing a Michigan income tax return are told to typically expect to wait up to four weeks to receive their individual income tax refunds when they e-file the return. Taxpayers filing a paper state of Michigan income tax return by mail can expect to wait up to eight weeks for a refund.
Where's my Michigan refund?
Michigan has its own "Where's My Refund?" tool online. For e-filed returns, the state treasury asks that you allow three to four weeks from the date you received confirmation that your e-filed state return was accepted before checking for information.
For paper filed returns, the state ask that you allow six to eight weeks before checking for information. See michigan.gov/taxes/iit/refund for details.
Last year, the Michigan Department of Treasury processed about 5 million tax returns. And Michigan taxpayers e-filed more than 91% of those returns.
Contact personal finance columnist Susan
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