FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2019
Press and Media Contact: Ron Leix, Treasury, 517-335-2167
Average Taxpayer Refund was $571
LANSING, Mich. – More than 3.3 million state income tax refunds were processed for the 2018 tax year that provided taxpayers with over $1.9 billion, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury.
As of mid-June, the average taxpayer refund was $571, up from last year’s $552 average. To date, more than 4.8 million returns have been processed by the state Treasury Department, with 91% reviewed and finalized within two weeks of receipt.
The remaining 9% required additional review and were processed within two to six weeks.
“Refunds are important to Michigan taxpayers,” State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks said. “Our team worked diligently during peak filing times to ensure refunds were issued promptly and calls for assistance were answered. I am proud of our team and look forward to continuing to identify ways to serve taxpayers better for next year.”
A decrease in filed tax returns over the past five years is due to the state Treasury Department processing returns in the year they are received. Few tax returns are being carried over into the following year.
Taxpayer calls to the Individual Income Tax Information Line were answered within 2 minutes 15 seconds, down from 5 minutes 6 seconds in 2015.
The state Treasury Department estimates more than 500,000 taxpayers—10%—have still not filed state income tax returns for the 2018 tax year. Taxpayers have four years to file a return and claim an outstanding refund.
Those who have not filed and owe taxes should file immediately to avoid further penalties and interest. The state Treasury Department can work with individuals to design a payment plan if needed.
To learn more about Michigan’s Individual Income Tax, go to www.michigan.gov/incometax or follow the state Treasury Department on Twitter at @MITreasury.
State Income Tax Filing Season Statistics (2015-2019)
|
|
2015
through 6/17/2015 |
2016
through 6/14/2016 |
2017
through 6/13/2017 |
2018
through 6/19/2018 |
2019
through 6/17/2019 |
|
Total Returns Processed
|
4,912,270
|
5,034,190
|
4,970,161
|
4,806,543
|
4,821,268
|
|
Refunds Processed
|
3,475,384
|
3,483,982
|
3,602,358
|
3,291,994
|
3,383,584
|
|
Total Refund Amount (In Millions)
|
$1,584.50
|
$1,681.70
|
$1,738.50
|
$1,818.30
|
$1,931.70
|
|
Average Refund
|
$456
|
$483
|
$483
|
$552
|
$571
|
|
Returns E-filed
|
3,846,524
|
3,961,874
|
3,955,733
|
4,045,112
|
4,142,743
|
|
Direct Deposit
|
2,290,784
|
2,320,627
|
2,443,287
|
2,506,538
|
2,635,313
|
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Check out our new website!
The Unemployment Insurance Agency is excited to announce the launch of our newly redesigned website at Michigan.gov/uia. The new site features a brand-new look, has mobile-friendly pages, and streamlined content.
We hope you’ll find it easier to navigate with a simpler visual design and better organized content. The site offers more prominent and easier access to MiWAM, and features three main links on the home page – I Am a Claimant; I am an Employer, and Tools and Resources.
By clicking the I Am a Claimant, or I Am an Employer panel, you can easily access the information of most interest to you. Information such as fact sheets, forms and FAQs have been reorganized on the Tools and Resources page to make them easier to find. The Tools and resources page also provides links to UI publications, videos and much more useful information.
Our goal was to provide a cleaner, simpler look and a more user-friendly browsing experience and to help you find what you’re looking for quickly and efficiently.
Let us know what you think by including a comment in the UI customer survey.
