NEWS RELEASE

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

Public Affairs Office                   Phone (803) 898-5464

Contact: Danny Brazell                  Fax (803) 898-5446

                                           Email: brazeld@sctax.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 10, 2003

 Revenue Department offering drive-thru forms service

      Taxpayers who haven't yet found the time to complete their 2002 income tax returns can get a little help next week if they need forms. South Carolina Department of Revenue employees will be on station in front of the Columbia Department of Revenue headquarters office Monday April 14 and Tuesday April 15 to hand out income tax forms during the Department's annual drive-thru forms service. The service will be available 7a.m. – 6 p.m. each day.

      All state income tax forms and many of the basic federal forms are available at the drive-thru service. The Columbia office is located at 301 Gervais Street (the same location as the State Museum). Signs will be posted to direct taxpayers to the drive-thru area. Department employees will meet taxpayers at their cars and taxpayers are asked not to get out of their cars in the drive-thru area. The drive-thru service will be available rain or shine. Taxpayers also can drop off their completed state and federal income tax returns at the drive-thru.  

      Taxpayers who file state income tax returns electronically have until May 1 to file and pay any taxes owed. This extended deadline does not apply to federal returns. Taxpayers can download a Request for Extension of Time, form SC4868, from the Department's web site, www.sctax.org, if they think they will not make the April 15 deadline for filing paper returns or the May 1 deadline for filing electronically.

      Military personnel serving in a designated combat zone have 180 days after they leave the combat zone to file their returns and pay any taxes owed. Information on this filing extension and other tax relief granted military personnel can be found in the policy document "Temporary Revenue Procedure #03-2," which is available at the Department of Revenue web site under "Policy Documents."  

      Listed below are the current Department of Revenue income tax processing statistics. The Department expects to receive more than 2.1 million income tax returns this year.

Processing Statistics:

As of  April 10, 2003

Total returns processed:

1,249,766

Paper returns processed:

429,230

Electronic returns processed:

820,536

% of Total Filed Electronic:

65%

Total refunds issued:

1,007,153

Average refund:

581.93

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