It's still 2016, however some viewers start thinking about taxes in December.
Here's an overview concerning Village of Bluffton income taxes from the village tax administrator, Rhonda Hohenbrink.
"As the new year approaches, we feel it is necessary to inform Bluffton residents of some of the key and new provisions passed in House Bill 5 in regards to filing and paying Bluffton village municipal income tax," she said.
A full description of the Village of Bluffton’s income tax requirements is on the village’s website at www.bluffton-ohio.com, under the Income Tax tab.
The link to the ordinances can be found on the left-hand side of the page in the Search Tax Forms box called Income Tax Ordinance.
• Any person who resided within the Village of Bluffton during tax year 2016 and earned an income is required to file a Village of Bluffton income tax return and pay income tax on all salaries, wages, commissions and other compensation.
• The deadline to file a 2016 Village of Bluffton income tax return is April 18, 2017.
• Any resident under the age of 18 during the entire tax year 2016, is exempt from filing a Village of Bluffton income tax return. If an individual worked and was under the age of 18, that person may complete a Village of Bluffton income tax return to request a refund of any municipal income tax withheld and paid to Bluffton.
• Taxpayers who are in need of an extension of time to file their tax return must file their Village of Bluffton or federal extension request form with the village no later than April 18, 2017, in order to be granted the extension.
• Extensions that are granted will extend the filing deadline by six months typically to Oct. 18, 2017.
• Filing an extension only extends the due date for filing a return. It does NOT extend the length of time to remit any tax owed. Any tax owed will still be due by April 18, 2017.
• Taxpayers may receive a refund of overpaid taxes only if the amount overpaid is more than $10. Likewise, taxpayers will not be required to remit tax due that is less than $10. However, even if the tax due is less than $10, taxpayers are still required to file a Village of Bluffton income tax return.
• The municipality will impose penalty and interest charges when a taxpayer fails to file their return or remit the appropriate amount of income tax by the April 18, 2017, due date.
Penalty and interest charges follows:
• The municipality shall impose a monthly penalty of $25 for each failiure to timely file each return. The penalty shall not exceed a total of $150 in assessed penalty for each failure to timely file a return.
• With respect to unpaid income tax, a penalty equal to 15 percent of the amount not timely paid shall be imposed.
• With respect to any unpaid withholding tax, a penalty equal to 50 percent of the amount not timely paid shall be imposed.
• Monthly interest shall be imposed on all unpaid income tax, and unpaid employer withholding tax.
The interest rate for 2016 will be: .417%. (The interest rate to be applied each calendar year is the federal short-term rate, rounded to the nearest whole number percent, plus 5 percent per annum. The rate shall apply for the calendar year next following the July of the year in which the federal short-term rate is determined under Section 1274 of the Internal Revenue Code.)
• All Village of Bluffton income tax forms can be found on the village’s website at: www.bluffton-ohio.com under the Income Tax tab.
For additional information, please contact the Village of Bluffton’s Income Tax Department at (419) 358-2066.
