By Associated Press | Published May 12, 2021 9:15 a.m.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia taxpayers have just days left to file their individual income taxes with the state.

The filing and payment deadline for submitting tax returns is May 17.

The typical May 1 deadline was extended this year to match the new Internal Revenue Service deadline.

Tax Commissioner Craig Burns said in a news release that the state is encouraging taxpayers to file electronically and request refunds via direct deposit.

It typically takes up to four weeks to process an electronically-filed return, and up to eight weeks to process a paper return. State officials said that this year, due to COVID-19 protocols, it will likely take even longer for a paper return to move through the system.

For those who miss the filing deadline, Virginia has an automatic, 6-month filing extension. No application is required. Taxpayers still need to pay any taxes owed on time to avoid additional penalties and interest.

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