Oregon taxpayers who file returns as soon as possible in order to claim a quick refund may have to wait longer to get their cash in 2017.
The Oregon Department of Revenue says it will hold onto state income tax refunds until Feb. 15. The agency says the delay will allow it time to more thoroughly match information on early refund requests with data reported by employers.
The department says the vast majority of tax returns filed before mid-February are from people expecting refunds. It's also a popular time for fraudsters, who try to get lost in the avalanche of early returns from those requesting legitimate refunds.
"Data-matching reduces potential refund fraud, and fraud is a problem we want to tackle from every direction we can," said Department of Revenue anti-fraud manager Ken Ross.
The move follows a similar anti-fraud measure from the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS is also delaying federal refunds until Feb. 15, but only to taxpayers who are using a pair of tax credits meant to benefit households with children.
Copyright 2016 Oregon Public Broadcasting
