SC Pushes Online Tax Filing

With two and a half months to file state and federal income taxes many people are getting antsy about their refund checks. The sooner a return is filed, the sooner the check is cut, but the South Carolina Department of Revenue says filing online can speed that process up.

Last year the department was able to drop their average wait time from four weeks to three, but by filing online taxpayers can get refunds within two weeks.

Of the 2.1 million returns processed in 2011, about 80 percent were filed online.

DOR spokeswoman Samantha Cheek said faster refunds and fewer human errors are the main reasons the department pushes online filing.

“The computer generated software goes in and checks your information and makes sure that everything you need to have is there for submission.”

She also said it helps the department cuts costs on paper and time spent filing, but couldn’t give a figure of money saved since the department began offering e-filing in 2003.

To file online taxpayers can either purchase tax software, hire a professional tax preparer or use free software, called Free File, to file federal and state individual income taxes.

About 70 percent of South Carolina tax payers qualify to use Free File, which lets users choose one of six providers, like H&R Block and Turbo Tax. To qualify a person, or married couple must make less than $57,000 annually. However, the department’s website, www.sctax.org, does offer discounted online tax preparation for those who make more.

Filing online is also the only way to have a refund directly deposited into a bank account, though traditional paper checks are still an option, as is a new pre-paid debit card.

Cheek said most of those who still use paper forms do so because of limited internet access.

Richard Babcock, 70, lives in northeast Columbia and got a ride to the DOR office to pick up paper forms. He doesn’t have a working computer at home right now and without regular transportation, it’s not easy for him to get to a public library.

“I realize that it’d probably be a little faster if I could do it electronically,” Babcock said. “When you go to the public library to use their computers anyway you’ve only got an hour session so if you start something you’ve got to finish it within that one-hour time frame. So I want to take my time, though I’m still in a hurry to get them in because I’m expecting a refund.”

He does think moving towards online filing is a good thing and worked as a computer programmer for years. But he said many people his age either don’t have access to the internet at home or are computer illiterate.

If you would like to request a set of paper forms call 1-800-768-3676. To access Free File visit www.sctax.org and find the Free File icon on the right.