Delaware’s Division of Revenue will begin processing 2020 individual income tax returns on Friday, February 12, 2021. Delaware opens its filing season in tandem with the IRS, who have been delayed this year due to programming required in administering economic impact payments. Taxpayers may still file in advance of this date, and returns will be held until processing begins on February 12.

In an effort to combat refund fraud, the Division of Revenue will be holding all personal income tax refunds until February 25, 2021. For faster turnaround times, citizens are encouraged to file their taxes online at de.gov/filetax or through other electronic filing programs and request direct deposit. This year’s filing deadline for personal income tax will be Friday, April 30, 2021.

Taxpayers should be aware that Delaware does not maintain reciprocity agreements with other states, therefore is important that anyone who is not a Delaware resident, but who has worked in Delaware, understands that they must file a Delaware tax return. Delaware Residents who work out-of-state are required to file returns with Delaware in addition to the state where they worked. By law, Delaware employees should receive their W-2 employment forms by January 31, 2021 for any job worked during the 2020 calendar year. Those who haven’t received a W-2 by January 31^st should contact their employer.

For filing information and more, please visit revenue.delaware.gov.

Beginning in January 2021, the Delaware Division of Revenue (DOR) will require certain business tax returns, including most gross receipts tax, excise tax, and withholding tax forms, to be filed electronically. Payments for these taxes must also be made electronically. The list of affected business taxes has been included in DOR’s latest Technical Information Memorandum, available at de.gov/ModEFile.

DOR expects to launch a new taxpayer portal before the end of the year. The portal will provide an enhanced taxpayer experience allowing businesses and individuals alike to file and pay their taxes electronically, and provide access to review account financials, set up payment plans, apply for business licenses, and more. Please note that the due dates for filing and payments will remain unchanged, and penalties and interest on underpayments will be calculated accordingly

For information and updates regarding the Taxpayer Portal, please visit DOR’s modernization website. Any questions or concerns regarding how to file your returns or make electronic payments may be directed to DOR_PublicService@delaware.gov or DOR_BusinessTax@Delaware.gov. Answers to most general questions can be found in DOR’s Technical Information Memorandum on Mandatory Electric Filing: de.gov/ModEFile.

The State of Delaware Department of Finance recently began collaborating with The Precisionists (TPI), a Wilmington, Del.-based organization focused on employment for adults with disabilities. The pilot program, about to celebrate its first anniversary, uses the talents of a team of autistic adults from TPI’s workforce to tackle critical business needs within the Department of Finance’s Division of Revenue (DOR).

“When properly assessed and trained, people with autism are extremely high-performing employees working in critical and challenging jobs such as administrative business functions, including scanning documents and data entry, software testing, website QA, and data analytics,” said Ernie Dianastasis, CEO of The Precisionists. “When you consider that more than 80 percent of people with autism in the country are either unemployed or underemployed, we are making a true difference in engaging a significant, untapped labor force. We are thrilled to partner on this project with the State of Delaware Department of Finance, which continues to demonstrate leadership and commitment to the community.”

TPI identified, assessed, and trained its employees participating in the pilot program. Since January 2020, a TPI team consisting of several data analysts and a project lead have been fully integrated with the Delaware DOR team in Wilmington to support DOR’s Personal Income Tax Returns Processing and Business License Processing functions. For personal income tax returns, TPI team members receive, resolve, and process exceptions to tax return filings. For business licenses, TPI team members receive new applications and renewals for data entry into the system and processing.

“The Precisionists has created an innovative model focused on helping organizations excel by bringing the talents and strengths of people with diverse abilities into the workforce,” said Rick Geisenberger, Cabinet Secretary of the Department of Finance. “Our Department is thrilled to be part of this effort that aligns so well with our values under the leadership of Governor Carney, and strengthens our ability to continuously improve the services we provide to our customers and the State’s taxpayers.”

“The work being done by the TPI Associates has provided needed support and continuous improvement to the Division of Revenue. The resources they have provided have enabled us to better manage our day-to-day operations. The employees from The Precisionists are reliable contributors to our team,” said Jennifer Hudson, Director of the Division of Revenue.

Those participating in the pilot go through a comprehensive four-week training program. As part of the pilot program, the State of Delaware hopes to identify additional opportunities to expand this employment model to other parts of the business, further supporting The Precisionists’ goal of employing 10,000 people with diverse abilities in the United States by 2025.

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About the State of Delaware Department of Finance and Division of Revenue
The Delaware Department of Finance’s mission is to promote Delaware’s fiscal health fairly and efficiently by forecasting, generating, collecting, and accounting for funds critical to essential government services.
As the primary revenue collector for the State, the mission of the Division of Revenue is to serve the State of Delaware by administering tax laws in a fair, secure, and efficient manner that creates the highest possible level of satisfaction for taxpayers and stakeholders and provides revenues that support quality public services.

To learn more, visit https://finance.delaware.gov/about-finance/ and https://revenue.delaware.gov.

About The Precisionists, Inc. (TPI)
The Precisionists, Inc. (TPI), a Benefits Corporation, is a national company focused on providing industry best practices for delivering administrative and technology services by building teams, which include individuals with disabilities. This approach enables The Precisionists to meet each customer’s specific needs and to deliver projects with the highest degree of productivity. The Precisionists is dedicated to creating jobs for individuals with disabilities in all the markets it serves. The Precisionists, Inc. is headquartered in Wilmington, DE. Learn more at www.theprecisionists.com. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter.

Contact:
Patricia Pfarrer
The Precisionists, Inc.
302-588-2353
Patti.Pfarrer@theprecisionists.com

Leslie A. Poland
Community Relations Coordinator
Delaware Department of Finance
302.577.8522
leslie.poland@delaware.gov

Income Tax Deadlines Extended
State Tax Due Dates Remain Unchanged

Last week, the Delaware Division of Revenue (DOR) announced that the deadlines for taxpayers to file certain personal and corporate income tax returns and payments had been extended to July 15, 2020 due to “rolling conformity” with federal income tax rules adopted by the IRS in response to the COVID-19 emergency.

The new deadline of July 15, 2020 applies to corporate income tax tentative returns due April 15 as well as final personal income tax returns, estimated personal income tax payments, and fiduciary income tax returns each due April 30.

All State of Delaware agencies continue to process State tax filings, accept tax payments, and issue refunds, where applicable. The State is not extending the deadlines for filing returns and payments for other State taxes and fees, including but not limited to the following categories:

• Personal Income Tax Withholding
• Personal Income Tax Estimated Payment due 6/15/2020
• Corporate Income Tax Tentative Payment due 6/15/2020
• Unemployment Insurance Tax (Non-profits and other reimbursable organizations will receive a 90-day deferment on UI payments)
• Corporate Franchise Tax
• LLC, LP, and GP Annual Tax
• Gross Receipts Tax and Business License Renewals
• Realty Transfer Tax
• Tobacco and Cigarette Tax
• Bank Franchise Tax and Fees
• Insurance Taxes and Fees
• Public Utility Tax
• Alcoholic Beverage Tax
• Public Accommodations Tax
• Motor Fuel Tax

State staff are available to respond to taxpayer questions throughout the COVID-19 emergency. Taxpayers are urged to visit the websites of applicable agencies for additional COVID-19 information or call or email the following offices:

Division of Revenue Leslie A. Poland, Community Relations Coordinator leslie.poland@delaware.gov
Division of Unemployment Insurance DOL_UI_Employer_Tax_Questions@delaware.gov Kenneth Briscoe, Communications Coordinator & Public Information Officer kenneth.briscoe@delaware.gov
Division of Corporations Doug Denison, Director of Community Relations douglas.denison@delaware.gov
Delaware Bank Commissioner Dawn Hollinger, Public Information Officer dawn.hollinger@delaware.gov
Delaware Department of Transportation (302-744-2724) Charles McLeod, Director of Community Relations charles.mcleod@delaware.gov

State Continues Processing Returns – Taxpayers Urged to File

The Delaware Division of Revenue (DOR) today announced the deadline for taxpayers to file their 2019 Delaware personal income tax returns has been extended to July 15, 2020. DOR and the Internal Revenue Service remain open, and taxpayers are encouraged to continue to file their state and federal returns electronically or by mail.

“Although the filing deadline has been extended, individuals are still urged to file as soon as possible,” said Director of Revenue Jennifer Hudson. “Filing electronically with direct deposit remains the fastest way to get your refund. Although we are operating with modified staffing arrangements to ensure the health and safety of our staff and customers, the Division of Revenue continues to operate in support of the State and its taxpayers. We are continuing to process tax returns and issue refunds.”

DOR’s public service windows are currently closed, but staff are available to respond to taxpayer questions by e-mail. Inquiries may be sent to any of the email addresses listed on our website. DOR staff will respond by e-mail or phone.

The filing deadline has been extended at a time when Governor John Carney has ordered all non-essential businesses to close in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Under Delaware law, the filing deadline for corporate income taxes is tied to the federal income tax due date which was recently extended to July 15, 2020. The Director of DOR has additional authority to grant reasonable extensions for other tax filings deemed to be appropriate. Under a Technical Information Memorandum 2020-01, DOR has also extended income tax filing deadlines for corporate final, corporate tentative, estimated personal income taxes, and fiduciary income taxes due in April to July 15, 2020. All other returns remain due without extension.

While DOR staff continue to process returns, some taxpayers with complex returns, filing errors, or paper submissions may experience delays. Taxpayers with questions about the status of their refund may use our online tool or e-mail DOR_PublicService@delaware.gov.

Individuals who are unable to meet the July 15 filing deadline may file an extension request online on or before July 15 at, by email to DOR_PublicService@delaware.gov, or through their tax preparer.

Taxpayers who have an outstanding balance and need assistance should contact DOR_Collections@delaware.gov. For additional information and updates about DOR’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, please visit our website.