RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Tax is announcing that tax filing season in Virginia is now underway. Taxpayers are now able to file their individual income tax returns.

“We strongly encourage you to file electronically,” said Tax Commissioner Craig M. Burns. “We also recommend that you request your refund, if you have one coming, via direct deposit.” 

Generally, it takes up to two weeks to process an electronically-filed return and up to eight weeks to process a paper return.

Virginia Tax takes refund fraud seriously and encourages you to do the same. Our automated system reviews returns for suspicious activity or possible fraud, then employees manually evaluate the returns selected for review. Filing early helps ensure the fastest possible refund if your return is selected for review.

Here are some steps you can take to help make sure your return and refund aren’t delayed

  • Gather all W-2s, 1099s and other withholding information before filing your return;
  • Include your Virginia driver’s license or Virginia identification card number on your return. Returns that don’t have that information won’t be rejected, but providing it helps us process the return more quickly; 
  • Be sure the spelling of your name(s), Social Security number(s) and all calculations are correct; and
  • If you moved since you filed your last return, use your current address.

For secure, online self-service you can create and log onto an online individual account. This allows you to track your return or refund. You can also check the status of your refund by using the Where’s My Refund application on the Virginia Tax website, or by calling 804.367.2486.

Correction: An earlier version of this release shared an income threshold for free file. We've updated this information to reflect current available resources.