Massachusetts Income Taxes and MA State Tax Forms

Massachusetts
"The Bay State"

Start Federal and Massachusetts State Tax Returns

Start Massachusetts State Tax Return Only

Where is my Massachusetts State Tax Refund?

Where is my Federal Tax Refund?

How to file a Massachusetts Tax Extension

How to file a Massachusetts Tax Amendment

Prepare and efile Your Massachusetts Tax Return

The efile.com tax software makes it easy for you to efile your state tax return and use the correct state tax forms. Prepare and efile your Massachusetts state tax return (resident, nonresident, or part-year resident) and Federal tax return together or separately at efile.com. View the federal tax return filing requirements.

Massachusetts Income Tax Filing Deadline

The regular deadline to file a Massachusetts state income tax return is April 15.

Tax Deadline Date	Type of Income Tax Return	Filing Deadline / Due Date Description
April 23, 2013 (the MA Department of Revenue extended the deadline to file from 04/16/2013 due to the events in Boston)	2012 Massachusetts State Tax Return	Due date for Massachusetts State Income Tax Returns - income tax filing deadline
April 23, 2013	2012 Massachusetts State Tax Extension	Due date for Massachusetts extensions
October 15, 2013	2012 Massachusetts State Tax Return	Last day to efile a 2012 Massachusetts State Income Tax Return for tax extension filers and late efilers

View all state tax return filing deadlines.

Find federal income tax return filing deadlines.

Massachusetts State Tax Forms that Can Be efiled

efile.com supports all of the forms that Massachusetts allows to be efiled. You can efile any of the following Massachusetts state tax forms:

Form/Schedule	Description	Can I efile this form?
Form 1	Massachusetts Resident Income Tax Return	efile It efile It efile It
Form 1-NR/PY	Mass. Nonresident/Part Year Resident Tax Return
Schedule CB	Circuit Breaker Credit
Schedule D	Long-Term Capital Gains and Losses Excluding Collectibles
Schedule D-IS	Long-Term Capital Gains and Losses on Installment Sales from January 1, 1996 Through December 31, 2002
Schedule DI	Dependent Information
Schedule EC	Solar and Wind Energy Credit
Schedule HC	Health Care Information
Schedule LP	Credit for Removing or Covering Lead Paint on Residential Premises
Schedule NTS-L-NR/PY	No Tax Status and Limited Income Credit
Schedule X	Other Income
Schedule Y	Other Deductions
Schedule Z	Other Credits
Form M-2210	Underpayment of Massachusetts Estimated Income Tax
Schedule R/NR	Resident/Nonresident Worksheet
Form	Taxpayer Change of Address

Massachusetts State Tax Forms that Cannot Be efiled

Form	Description
Form M-4	Massachusetts Employee's Withholding Exemption Certificate

MA Tax Extension

Extension Form	Massachusetts Extension Instructions	How to File
Form M-4686	Form M-4868 must be used by individuals to request an automatic six-month extension of time to file their Massachusetts income tax return. This form may also be used to extend the time to file your individual use tax if you elect to report use tax on your personal income tax return. This is the only application needed to request a six month extension of time to file. The extension of time to file does not extend the due date for payment of any tax due. Extensions are granted only upon the timely filing of the extension with any required payment amount. Form M-4868 must be accompanied by a 100% payment of any tax estimated to be due. The extension will be considered void if 80% of the total tax liability is not paid on or before the original due date of the return. If you are not sending your tax payment electronically, complete and file Form PV, Massachusetts Income Tax Payment Voucher, along with your check or money order. Any portion of tax not paid on or before the due day of your return is subject to a late payment penalty of 1% per month of the tax due, up to a maximum of 25%. You must file Form M-4868 via the DOR's website if you meet the following criteria: You owe no tax; OR You are making a payment of $5,000 or more. If there is a tax due with your extension, payment can be made through Electronic Funds Withdrawal. If you meet the above criteria, visit MA website to file via the Web. If you are making a payment, have your bank account information ready.	Work with a TaxPro goPRO Form PV

Extension Form

Massachusetts Extension Instructions

How to File

Form M-4686

Form M-4868 must be used by individuals to request an automatic six-month extension of time to file their Massachusetts income tax return. This form may also be used to extend the time to file your individual use tax if you elect to report use tax on your personal income tax return. This is the only application needed to request a six month extension of time to file. The extension of time to file does not extend the due date for payment of any tax due. Extensions are granted only upon the timely filing of the extension with any required payment amount.

Form M-4868 must be accompanied by a 100% payment of any tax estimated to be due. The extension will be considered void if 80% of the total tax liability is not paid on or before the original due date of the return. If you are not sending your tax payment electronically, complete and file Form PV, Massachusetts Income Tax Payment Voucher, along with your check or money order. Any portion of tax not paid on or before the due day of your return is subject to a late payment penalty of 1% per month of the tax due, up to a maximum of 25%.

You must file Form M-4868 via the DOR's website if you meet the following criteria:

You owe no tax; OR
You are making a payment of $5,000 or more. If there is a tax due with your extension, payment can be made through Electronic Funds Withdrawal.

If you meet the above criteria, visit MA website to file via the Web. If you are making a payment, have your bank account information ready.

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Form PV

Important Reminder! If you are efiling a Massachusetts tax extension, you may need to efile a federal tax extension as well.

MA Tax Amendment

Amendment Form	Massachusetts Amendment Instructions	How to File
Form CA-6	If you have already filed or efiled your state return and you need to make corrections, you can file an amended return. To prepare an amended Massachusetts tax return, simply fill out a new Form CA-6, Application for Abatement/Amended Tax Return, for the year you are amending. You cannot efile a MA amended return, so you will need to mail it to the address on the form.	Work with a TaxPro goPRO

Important Reminder! If you are filing a Massachusetts tax amendment, you may need to file a federal tax amendment as well.

Past Year Forms: Tax Year 2011 Massachusetts Tax Forms (Print, Fill Out, and Mail)
Form 1	Massachusetts Resident Income Tax Return	Work with a TaxPro goPRO
Form 1-NR/PY	Mass. Nonresident/Part Year Resident Tax Return
Schedule CB	Circuit Breaker Credit
Schedule D	Long-Term Capital Gains and Losses Excluding Collectibles
Schedule D-IS	Long-Term Capital Gains and Losses on Installment Sales from January 1, 1996 Through December 31, 2002
Schedule DI	Dependent Information
Schedule EC	Solar and Wind Energy Credit
Schedule HC	Health Care Information
Schedule LP	Credit for Removing or Covering Lead Paint on Residential Premises
Schedule NTS-L-NR/PY	No Tax Status and Limited Income Credit
Schedule X	Other Income
Schedule Y	Other Deductions
Schedule Z	Other Credits
Form M-2210	Underpayment of Massachusetts Estimated Income Tax
Schedule R/NR	Resident/Nonresident Worksheet
Form	Taxpayer Change of Address

Where's My Refund? - Check Your Massachusetts State Tax Refund Status

File electronically or early in the tax season to get your Massachusetts state tax return refund faster.

Check your Massachusetts tax refund status online.

MA efile Error Codes

If your Massachusetts state return was rejected, you will receive an error reject code. If you prepared and efiled your return on efile.com, we will provide you with an explanation of how to correct the error on your return. You may then resubmit your state return at no additional charge until it is accepted by the state.

View a list of all Massachusetts State efile Income Tax Return Error Reject Codes.

Massachusetts Tax Facts

MA Income Tax:

The state imposes two tax rates:

5.2%: earned income (wages, salaries, tips, commissions) and unearned income (interest, dividends, and long-term capital gains)
12%: certain capital gains

MA Sales Tax:

Massachusetts has a sales tax rate of 6.25% on retail sales of tangible personal property in Massachusetts by any vendor.

More information on Massachusetts Sales Tax

MA Sales Tax Holiday:

Massachusetts holds one annual tax holiday, which usually occur on the second weekend of a month. During these holidays, certain items are exempt from Massachusetts sales tax. However, the MA consumer will only receive the tax exemption if a specific total spending limit is met.

Refer to the chart below for all Massachusetts sales tax holidays for 2013. We will update this chart when the dates become available.

Sales Tax Holiday Dates	Sales Tax Holiday Items Included
August, 2013	Tangible personal property bought for personal use only: $2,500 or less

MA Personal Property Tax:

All real and tangible personal property in the state is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. MA property is taxed according to its class: open space, commercial, residential, personal, and industrial property.

The administration of the assessment and collection of all Massachusetts real and tangible personal property taxes is handled by city and town assessors and collected in the jurisdiction where the property is located.

Odd Tax Fact:

The Massachusetts state tax agency website has two unclaimed refund lists: one for individuals and another for businesses. The refunds, which were returned to the MA Department of Revenue by the U.S. Postal Service, are based on returns that were filed during the past several Tax Years. The state tax agency hopes that by posting these lists, they can locate the taxpayers so they can receive updated addresses and send them their refunds.

MA State Tax Agency:

For more information, you can visit the website of The Massachusetts Department of Revenue.