PERSONAL INCOME TAX DEADLINE ARRIVES
State Tax Commissioner Urges West Virginians to File on Time

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- State Tax Commissioner Christopher G. Morris today reminds all West Virginians to file their 2007 personal income tax returns by midnight tonight, April 15, 2008.

For those West Virginia Taxpayers who have yet to file, electronic filing or e-filing may be the best option. "By e-filing, not only will you meet the deadline, your return will be processed quicker and if you're due a refund, it will be returned to you sooner," State Tax Commissioner Christopher G. Morris said. "Paper returns must be postmarked by midnight."

If a West Virginia Taxpayer is not going to make the filing deadline, he or she must file an extension by midnight tonight. "If you will owe the State, you must pay what's due with that extension request," Morris explained, "Remember it is an extension to file, not an extension to pay what you owe."

Taxpayers can find the extension form request, Schedule L, in the personal income tax booklet with all instructions. If you have received a federal income tax filing extension from the IRS, and expect to owe no West Virginia income tax, you are not required to file Schedule L. To receive the same extension for state tax purposes, you need only note on your West Virginia personal income tax return that a federal extension was granted.

Taxpayers can file their returns electronically by logging online to www.state.wv.us/taxdiv. Help is available at the Charleston Taxpayer Services Center located at 1206 Quarrier Street from 8:30am today until 6:30pm.

As of April 14, 2008, the West Virginia State Tax Department has processed over 380,000 electronic personal income tax returns and an additional 205,000 paper returns for a total of 585,000 returns processed. The State Tax Department has also issued more refunds this year as compared to the same time last year. The average refund amount is $227.63 for this year. That's $25 more than the average refund last year. Thus far this year, the State Tax Department has issued more than $84 million dollars in tax refunds to Taxpayers.

# # #