February 24, 2022

Mills Administration strongly encourages Maine people to examine eligibility for
enhanced tax relief

Maine Revenue Services announced today that the due date for filing 2021 Maine individual income tax returns is Tuesday, April 19, 2022. The Mills Administration is urging low- and middle-income Maine people to examine their eligibility for enhanced tax relief this year, which could boost State-issued refund checks by as much as $1,400.

“Governor Mills and the Legislature have provided more than $371 million in relief to Maine people over the last two years. Consistent with that commitment, we have extended the Earned Income Tax Credit, Sales Tax Fairness Credit, and Property Tax Fairness Credit to low- and middle-income Maine people, many of whom will benefit even if they do not have a tax liability to offset. We strongly encourage all Maine people to examine whether they may be entitled to more money back as a result of these enhanced tax benefits,” said Kirsten Figueroa, Commissioner for the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, of which Maine Revenue Services is a division. “All Mainers, including those who would not ordinarily file individual income taxes, should submit a return in order to qualify for this and other relief – including the proposed giveback payments, which, if approved by the Legislature, would issue a $500 relief check to more than 800,000 Maine tax filers beginning on July 1st of this year. The Administration is committed to delivering relief to Maine people, particularly as they grapple with ongoing rising costs driven by inflation.”

“We remain committed to timely and accurate processing – and to the speedy issuance of refund payments,” said Jerome Gerard, Executive Director of Maine Revenue Services, a division of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services.

Governor Mills signed into law three tax relief measures for the 2021 tax year specifically to support low- and middle-income Maine families. Maine seniors or working families with incomes of less than $68,000, as well as Maine resident property owners and renters who pay more than 4 percent of their household budgets on property taxes or rent equivalent, may be eligible for up to $1,400 via the Earned Income Tax Credit, Sales Tax Fairness Credit, and/or Property Tax Fairness Credit. These tax credits can be claimed on 2021 individual income tax filings by those who meet eligibility criteria, and are applied dollar-for-dollar against any tax liability with the remainder issued as part of a refund check.

In addition, Governor Mills submitted a proposal to the Legislature last week that, if passed, would include using half of the current State budget surplus – $411 million – to issue $500 “giveback” payments to approximately 800,000 Maine taxpayers, to help them deal with pandemic-driven inflation. Eligibility for those $500 giveback payments would be based on the 2021 individual income tax return.

Maine taxpayers are urged to examine their eligibility for tax relief and to file state income tax returns as soon as they have received all paperwork necessary from employers and other entities, and to file electronically. Paper filing forms are also available.

The Maine individual income tax filing deadline of April 19, 2022 is consistent with the IRS filing deadline for Maine residents’ Federal individual income tax returns, impacted by the Emancipation Day holiday in the District of Columbia, which impacts all filers, and the Patriots’ Day holiday, which impacts filers in Maine and Massachusetts. Taxpayers requesting an extension will have until Monday, October 17, 2022 to file. Under Governor Mills’ proposal, taxpayers must file their 2021 state individual income tax return no later than Monday, October 31, 2022, and meet other criteria, to be eligible for the proposed $500 giveback payment.