The Minnesota Department of Revenue will open the state Individual Income Tax filing season on Monday, January 29, 2024. This date matches the opening day for the US Internal Revenue Service. The filing deadline to submit 2023 Minnesota income tax returns is Monday, April 15, 2024. This date matches the filing deadline for 2024 federal income tax returns.

Tax software providers and tax professionals may be accepting and preparing tax returns before January 29 and will submit those returns when the IRS and state systems open.

Related: Free tax assistance available for some Cook County and Grand Portage residents

Here's what to know

Minnesota Child Tax Credit

Beginning with tax year 2023, you may qualify for a Child Tax Credit of $1,750 per qualifying child, with no limit on the number of children claimed. This is a refundable credit, meaning you can receive a refund even if you do not owe tax. You must file a 2023 individual income tax return in order to claim the credit. Learn more about income requirements and qualifications on the Child Tax Credit webpage.

Electronic Filing and Free Tax Help 

When you file your taxes this year, choose electronic filing. Last year, over 92 percent of Minnesota taxpayers filed their taxes electronically. Using electronic software is easy, convenient, and secure. Electronic filing also ensures that you have the most up-to-date forms and instructions when you file.

Free electronic filing is available for Minnesotans who meet certain requirements. You may be eligible to file electronically for free if your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is $79,000 or less. To see if you are eligible for free electronic filing, see the Electronic Filing Software for Individuals page on the department’s website. 

You may qualify for free tax preparation help for your federal and Minnesota income tax returns. To qualify, you must meet one of these criteria: be age 60 or older, have a disability, speak limited or no English, or have income less than $64,000 per year. There are over 170 free tax preparation sites across Minnesota where you can get help from IRS-certified volunteers. Most sites are open late January – April 15 and you can visit our website to find free tax preparation sites near you by the end of January.

Additionally, eligible taxpayers will be able to file their 2023 returns online directly with the IRS through a new, electronic direct file pilot. The IRS says it will be rolled out in phases and is expected to be widely available in mid-March.  

Fraud Prevention 

The department takes protecting your personal information and your tax refund very seriously. We review and verify information on all tax returns to make sure the right refund goes to the right person. The department may contact you via mail asking for more documentation or to verify your identity. Promptly responding to these requests will allow the department to continue processing your return in a timely fashion. 

To learn more about identity theft prevention, see the Identity Theft and Tax Refund Fraud page on our website.

Track Your Refund

You can track the status of your refund by using the Where’s My Refund? system. You can track which of the four stages your refund is in and if you need to take any action. When we finish processing your refund, you will see the date we sent it. To learn about the measures we take to process your return and issue your refund, see our video on a day in the life of a tax return.

The IRS expects most refunds to be issued in less than 21 days.