January 13, 2023 10:40 a.m. 

The Oregon Department of Revenue will begin processing 2022 state income tax returns on January 23rd, the same day the Internal Revenue Service will start processing federal tax returns.

An ODR release said although some taxpayers have already submitted their returns, processing doesn’t start until the tax season officially begins. Returns will be processed in the order they are received. However, as in years past, the department won’t be issuing personal income tax refunds until after February 15th.

ODR said a refund hold is part of the department’s tax fraud prevention efforts and allows for confirmation that the amounts claimed on tax returns match what employers report on Forms W-2 and 1099. Once the department begins processing returns, filers can check https://www.oregon.gov/dor/programs/individuals/Pages/Where-is-my-refund.aspx on Revenue Online to see the status of their refund.

The release said e-filing is the fastest way for a taxpayer to get their refund. On average, taxpayers who e-file their returns and request their refund via direct deposit receive their refund sooner than those who file paper returns and request paper refund checks.

The release said taking a few easy steps in the next few weeks can make preparing the 2022 tax return easier this year. Those steps are linked: https://www.oregon.gov/dor/Pages/End-of-Year-Tax-Tips.aspx