Oregon Dept. of Revenue’s Bend office has a free e-filing kiosk to get your refund and kicker much quicker
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Department of Revenue is urging taxpayers to use public computer kiosks in its regional offices - including Bend - to avoid significant delays in paper tax return processing this year.
The agency said Thursday that filing electronically through these kiosks allows residents to receive their kicker and tax refunds several weeks sooner than mailing in paper forms.
The push for electronic filing comes after the Internal Revenue Service was late in providing necessary tax forms and information to the state late last year, officials said.
Because of those delays, the department will not begin processing paper-filed Oregon personal income tax returns until the end of March.
Kiosks are available in the public spaces of department regional offices in five Oregon offices, including Bend. The computers are accessible during regular business hours for taxpayers to file their state returns using Direct File Oregon for free.
Filing through these kiosks is specifically intended for individuals who do not have a home computer or those who usually fill out paper forms but want to transfer their data to an electronic system.
On average, taxpayers who e-file their returns and choose direct deposit receive their money two weeks faster than those who request a paper check via mail. This year, the time difference between filing methods is expected to be even larger because of the late processing of paper documents.
Megan Denison serves as the administrator of the department's Personal Tax and Compliance Division. She noted that the kiosks provide a digital option for residents who may otherwise face long wait times for their tax results.
"The computer kiosks offer a way to file electronically for those without a computer or those who fill out paper forms and want to transfer their data into Direct File Oregon to receive their refund — and their kicker — sooner," Denison said.
The Bend regional office is located at 951 SW Simpson Ave., Suite 100. It is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., although the office closes daily for one hour between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. Other kiosks are available in Portland, Eugene, Medford and Gresham.
Oregon DOR will begin issuing refunds for e-filed returns next Tuesday, Feb. 17. For those who choose to file paper returns, the department says it won't begin issuing refunds until early April.
