The Internal Revenue Service over the weekend finished reprogramming and testing of its computer systems, clearing the way for the filing of federal income tax returns – individual and business – that may have been delayed earlier in the filing season.
It also cleared the way for the filing of Rhode Island income tax returns that may have been delayed. The reason has to do with a longstanding federal-state partnership. Under that arrangement, electronically filed Rhode Island personal income tax returns are transmitted to the IRS, then downloaded by the Rhode Island Division of Taxation.
When the IRS system closed for part of January to let the IRS update its computers to reflect last-minute changes in federal tax law, the IRS could not accept e-filed returns – and the Rhode Island Division of Taxation generally couldn’t, either.
That situation was resolved by late January. However, because some other federal returns couldn’t be filed until early March (because certain forms were still being updated and tested), some Rhode Island returns still could not be filed, either. Now, however, it’s open season: the IRS and the Rhode Island Division of Taxation are accepting, without restriction, individual and business returns.
