Filing Wisconsin Taxes and Amended Tax Returns

Wisconsin state income tax is divided into four rates between 4% and 7.65%. As with federal income tax, the Wisconsin tax is typically withheld from an employee’s paycheck.

The state generated $14.7 billion in total tax revenue in 2012. About $6.2 billion, or 48%, of that was collected through state income tax. When compared to other states, Wisconsin receives a higher share of its total tax revenue through income tax. The average among all states in 2012 was 40%.

All full and part-time residents as well as nonresidents must file WI taxes. The state's department of revenue website allows for easy tracking of tax refunds.

Individuals who have income not subject to withholdings, such as interest, real estate sales, and self-employment earnings, should file estimated taxes quarterly. Those who wish to pay by check or money order (payable to Wisconsin Department of Revenue) can send in a completed Form 1-ES. The state's department of revenue website also allows for Wisconsin estimated tax returns to be made online.

An amended tax return may be necessary if the original return has been filed with an error or incorrect information. Full-year residents can do this by filing Form 1X for the year being amended. Partial-year and nonresidents should file a Form 1NPR and check the box for "amended" on the document. Those expecting a refund have four years from the original due date to file an amended return.

Those who cannot file WI taxes by the deadline should apply for an extension which will provide an additional six-months to file and help to avoid failure-to-file penalties. Please note, all late payments will face a 1% interest charge per month following the original due date.

Late Payments

All late payments will face a 1% interest charge per month following the original due date.

Note: States & U.S. territories may make changes to their tax laws with little notice. We do our best to keep this information up-to-date, but it is provided on an "AS IS" basis. For more see our terms.