Welcome to DOR's Tax Talk Blog
Tax Talk is a weekly blog published each Wednesday by DOR that discusses tax tips, DOR programs, and helpful information for tax preparers. During tax season blogs are posted on both Mondays and Wednesdays.
May 20, 2021
The 2021 individual income tax deadline was Monday. Whether you filed your taxes, filed for an extension or (oops) forgot to file, DOR wants to make you aware of a few more to-do items and dates you might need to remember:
Paying a Tax Bill and Payment Plans
If you owe taxes to the state of Indiana, there are options to make paying what you owe more manageable. DORpay allows customers to pay their state taxes 24/7.
Interest will accrue on your unpaid balance, so you’ll want to pay your taxes in full (or as much as you can) as soon as possible. If you owe more than $100, you can set up a payment plan through INtax Pay. You can find more information about DOR payment plans by visiting our website.
Extension of Time to File
The deadline to file for an extension was on Tax Day. If the IRS granted you an extension, then an extension for Indiana is granted automatically. A timely-filed extension moves the federal tax filing deadline to Oct. 15, 2021 and the Indiana filing deadline to Nov. 15, 2021.
An extension only shifts the filing deadline, not the payment deadline. You must pay 90% of the taxes owed by the original tax deadline (May 17) and the rest by the extended deadline (Nov. 15) to avoid penalties and interest.
Unemployment Tax Information
If you still need to file your state taxes and had unemployment income in 2020 visit our website for more information about completing your tax return.
Finished Filing
Once your taxes have been filed, be sure to make and save copies of all relevant paperwork submitted in case you need to reference them later. If you receive any correspondence in the mail from DOR, respond accordingly and quickly.
For more information on individual income taxes please visit our Individual Income Tax webpage.
April 28, 2021
Next week is National Small Business Week, so we want to take a moment to recognize one of the biggest revenue generators for our state—the Hoosier small business community. Whether you’re an established small business owner with specific tax questions or an aspiring entrepreneur trying to understand the basics, you help keep our state running. And DOR wants to help you do that by offering resources for anyone looking to start or grow a small business in Indiana.
For example, our Indiana Tax Handbook for New and Small Business Owners has a wealth of information on registering for taxes, filing and paying, staying compliant and more. It also contains many helpful hints and services to support you as your business evolves.
We also partner with several organizations to give virtual presentations to small businesses. If you’d like to partner with DOR and host your own virtual event for small business owners in your community, contact our Business Outreach Program. If you’re interested in attending one of these virtual presentations, visit our events page, where we’ll be adding presentations throughout the year. Those who can’t make it to one of our live events can also check out our pre-recorded presentations Start Strong, to help you get started on the right foot, and Stay Strong, to help you stay compliant.
DOR also has tons of online resources that can help small business owners, such as our New & Small Business Education Center, a go-to hub for anyone starting a business in Indiana, or our Tax Bulletins, where you can find in depth information about a variety of topics that impact small businesses.
Finally, state taxes are just part of what you need to know to run a successful small business. If you’re looking for more assistance and information, check out the IRS (for federal taxes), Indiana Small Business Development Center, the U.S. Small Business Administration and SCORE.