1. My spouse and I file separately at the state/federal levels. Do we need to file separately at the local level?

No.  You may file either individually or jointly at the local level, regardless of your filing status at the federal or state level; however, please be sure to notify us when you elect to change your filing status in any given year.

  1. I filed individually at the state and federal level, should I do the same at the local level? 

For local tax purposes, Federal filing status has no bearing on the calculation of tax.  You may file either individually or joint for local tax purposes, the tax due will compute the same.

  1. I made payments on a joint account and now I’m filing separately (single). How do I request that the payments on the joint account be transferred to my individual account?

You can contact RITA customer service during regular business hours and request a payment allocation form.   This form will need to be completed and signed by both parties involved and the money will be allocated based on how the form specifies.

  1. I was never mailed a RITA return and/or a declaration form and had no idea I had a RITA filing requirement.  Is RITA required to notify me of my filing requirement when I move into a RITA city? 

No.  It is a resident’s responsibility to timely file a RITA return.  Forms & Instructions can be printed from our website and forms can be mailed upon request by calling RITA.  RITA is not responsible for notifying all RITA city residents of their filing requirement. The failure of any taxpayer to receive or procure a return, declaration or other required form shall not excuse an individual from making any information return, declaration of return, from filing such form or from paying the tax.

  1. I mailed my return a few weeks ago and have not received a confirmation that RITA received my return.  Will RITA notify me to confirm that RITA has received my return? 

RITA does not notify taxpayers when documentation is received.  RITA can validate that documentation (such as a return or refund request) has been received when it is processed and requires a tax account on our system to be updated.  Documentation mailed to RITA during tax season (March, April, and May), generally requires several weeks to process due to the enormous volume of documentation received during this period.

Please note that taxpayers that make E-Payments or E-File will receive a confirmation number validating that their payment or filing has been received.

  1. Can I call RITA to confirm that my return or refund request has been received?

Yes.  However, if you mailed documentation in March, April, or May (our busiest period), please allow a minimum of six (6) weeks to elapse (from the date you mailed the documentation) before contacting RITA.  Additionally, please note that RITA has ninety (90) days from the later of the date your taxes were due or the date a refund request is received to review a refund request.  If your refund request is complete and approved, a refund check will be mailed to you.  A refund request is not considered received unless it is complete and all the required information has been provided.

  1.  Should I mail another copy of my return or refund request?

If more than ninety (90) days has elapsed (from the date that the documentation may have been mailed), please contact RITA before mailing a copy of the documentation.

  1. My employer did not withhold the full amount of local tax due on my wages earned in my employment city.  Am I ultimately responsible for ensuring that the local tax due to my city of employment is correctly withheld or paid?

Yes. While your employer is legally required to withhold the correct amount of local tax due to your city of employment, you have the final responsibility to ensure that the local tax is correctly withheld or paid.

  1. In addition to my W-2 wages, I have other income (such as 1099-MISC income or Federal Schedule C income) that local tax has not been withheld upon.  Can I request that my W-2 employer withhold additional local tax in excess of the local tax rate?

No.  Withholding by employers in excess of the required tax rate is not permitted.  If an employer has withheld local tax at a rate higher than the statutory rate, the excess amount withheld will be refunded upon written request. Individuals filing with RITA will receive credit only for local taxes in the amount statutorily due to the city where the income is earned.

  1. I paid local taxes to a non-RITA city.  How do I report those tax payments on the RITA Form 37 and do I need to attach a copy of the other city (ies) returns to receive credit? 

Refer to the instructions for Form 37 (Schedule J) and attach a copy of the returns that you filed with all other non-RITA cities reported on RITA Form 37, Schedule J.

  1. Do you have specific forms for filing amended returns?

No.  If you need to amend a return, simply check the amended box (generally appearing in the upper-right hand corner on any of the RITA returns) and complete the box below it which indicates the tax year that is being amended.

  1. Do you accept generic returns?

Yes.  However, generic forms must be in similar format that will allow the processing of the generic forms without changing RITA’s existing procedures for processing forms.

  1. Where should I mail my return?

Mailing Addresses for Forms & Correspondence