The Louisiana Department of Revenue has asked state residents to delay their tax filings until after February 1. The state has also announced that the printing and production of state income tax forms would be delayed by about two months. This filing delay affects both paper and electronic filers.

“Whenever the Legislature makes changes that impact taxation, new forms have to be designed and tested to make sure everything matches up,” Byron Arthur, Department of Revenue Communications Director, told the Times-Picayune. “The people in the forms department have tried to work really hard to get the schedule as close to normal as possible.”

Considering delays starting with changes at the state and federal level, Kathi Vrcic, manager of Liberty Tax Service in Lafayette, Louisiana, told the Daily Advertiser, “Whether or not they’re correct, I don’t know. But we can file them now. The only thing is, the state won’t start giving out refunds until February 1.”

The Department of Revenue is asking Louisiana taxpayers to file electronically instead of filing paper returns, according to the Daily Advertiser. All taxpayers should ensure that they file using physical addresses that can be verified. Refund anticipation loans for state returns cannot be awarded at some tax services but they can offer direct deposit of refunds instead.

Arthur told the Daily Advertiser, “Filing electronically is better all the way around. There’s less chance of human error. If you want to receive your refund faster, electronic filing is definitely the way to go.” Arthur continued, saying that electronic returns take seven to ten days to process while paper returns take from six to eight weeks.

Individual and business taxpayers can access the most commonly requested tax forms in electronic format at www.revenue.louisiana.gov/sections/taxforms/. Tax forms are available for the past five years and forms shown with a pencil icon are Fill-in forms. That is, you can enter your information when the form is displayed and print the completed form when ready.

The Department of Revenue is hoping that these delays will be overcome and normal filing resumes by February 1 for both electronic and paper filers. Louisiana taxpayers are encouraged to check the Department of Revenue’s web site for any new information and updates.