From the Village of Bluffton, 154 N. Main St., 419-358-2066.

It’s tax time again. Below you will find important information in regards to filing your 2024 Village of Bluffton income tax return. 

The Village of Bluffton income tax filing deadline date for tax year 2024 returns will be TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 2025, for all taxpayers, except fiscal year accounts, business accounts or taxpayers on Federal extensions. 

The Village of Bluffton is a MANDATORY income tax filing municipality. This means that any person, age 18 or older or who turned 18 during tax year 2024, and resided within the village either full-time or part-time, is required to file a Bluffton income tax return. This is regardless of how much money was earned or lost, in the case of a business, and even if your employer has fully withheld and paid income tax into the village on your behalf. EVEN IF YOU DO NOT OWE ANY INCOME TAX TO THE VILLAGE OF BLUFFTON, YOU STILL MUST COMPLETE AND FILE A VILLAGE INCOME TAX RETURN FORM. PENALTY AND INTEREST FEES WILL BE APPLIED TO THOSE WHO DO NOT FILE.  
 

The Village of Bluffton’s income tax rate for tax year 2024 was 1.25%.  

Each resident must report any income they earned during the year and pay income tax on all income earned (i.e. salaries, wages, commissions or other compensation such as farm income, rental income, business income, gambling winnings or income from working any part-time job such as babysitting, mowing etc…).  To determine how much tax is owed to the village, multiply your total GROSS wages earned while you resided in Bluffton by our tax rate of 1.25%.

Any college student who worked in another community, and did not officially change their domicile from Bluffton to another community prior to the start of tax year 2024, must file a Village of Bluffton income tax return.

You may have a tax preparer complete your return for you or you may use the fillable income tax return form on the village’s website located at: https://www.bluffton-ohio.com/income-tax. [You will need to click on] – Income Tax – Individual or Business forms tab and then select the R-1 – Income Tax Return form. The instructions for completing the return can be retrieved by clicking on the R-2 Income Tax Return Instructions link.

If tax, penalties or interest are owed, you are expected to pay what is owed at the time of filing your return.

THERE IS NO ELECTRONIC FILING ALLOWED IN THE VILLAGE OF BLUFFTON, INCLUDING IT BEING EMAILED. This means that the original signed paper return and supporting documents must be delivered to the village’s Income Tax office. We recommend that you hand deliver your tax documents to the Bluffton Income Tax office which is located in the Town Hall building at 154 N. Main St., Bluffton, Ohio 45817. The lobby is always open to pickup tax forms or drop-off returns, 365 days per year, 24 hours a day. The administration office window is open from 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday – Friday. If the administrative window is closed, please place your documents and payment in a sealed envelop that includes your name, address and telephone number, in the locked drop box on the wall beside the elevator. However, please note that if the return, documents and payment are placed in the drop box after hours, it will be stamped with the next business day’s date.

It is each taxpayer’s responsibility to make sure their return arrives to the Bluffton Income Tax office by April 15, 2025. If you choose to mail your return, make sure it it post marked by no later than April 15, 2025. If the return does not arrive by April 15, 2025 or is post marked AFTER this date, penalty and interest fees will be applied. Exceptions will not be made due to it being delivered to us late by the USPS, Fed-Ex, UPS or any other delivery system.   

If you owe more than $200 in income tax to the Village of Bluffton at the time of filing your 2024 village return, you are required by the Ohio Revised Code to make estimated income tax payments towards the tax that will be owed for the next tax year 2025. Estimated payment vouchers can be found on the shelf in the Town Hall lobby or on the village’s website. Quarterly estimated payments will be due on the following dates: 

1st Quarter: April 15 2nd Quarter: June 15

3rd Quarter: September 15 4th Quarter: January 15 for individuals

            December 15 for businesses

The only individuals who will be exempt from filing a Bluffton Income Tax return each year are those who are permanently retired or disabled, individuals who are under the age of 18, or an individual who did not have any taxable income during tax year 2024 and they have completed and submitted an Exemption Certificate form by April 15, 2025. 

Any resident who was under the age of 18 during the entire tax year of 2024, is exempt from filing a Village of Bluffton income tax return if they worked, regardless of how much they made. However, such individuals may complete a village return to request a refund for any Bluffton income tax that was withheld from their pay and paid into Bluffton by their employer. Please make sure to include your birth date on the village income tax return.  

Taxpayers who are in need of an extension of time to file their tax return must file a Village of Bluffton extension request form by April 15, 2025 or attach a copy of their federal extension request form to their village return and file it by the federal extension date, in order for the extension to be granted. 

 Extensions that are granted will typically extend the filing deadline by six months to October 15. 

Filing an extension only extends the due date for filing a return. It does NOT extend the length of time to remit any tax owed. Any tax owed will still be due by April 15, 2025.

Taxpayers may receive a refund for overpaid taxes only if the amount overpaid is more than $10.00. Likewise, taxpayers will not be required to remit tax due that is less than $10.00. However, even if the tax due is less than $10.00, taxpayers ARE STILL REQUIRED to file a Village of Bluffton income tax return. 

Business, farm and rental losses (Schedules C, E, F, K-1 and Forms 4797 and 4835) are not permitted to be netted against personal wages or income to reduce taxable income. 

The municipality will impose penalty and interest charges if a taxpayer fails to file their return or remit the appropriate amount of income tax owed to the village by the April 15, 2025 due date. For 2024 returns, the penalty and interest charges will be as follows:

Late Filing Fee: The municipality will impose a $25.00 late filing fee for failing to file by the April 15, 2025 due date.  

Late Payment Fee: The municipality will impose a fifteen percent (15%) late payment penalty on the amount of tax owed and not paid to the municipality by the April 15, 2025 due date.   

Interest Fee: Monthly interest shall be imposed on all unpaid income tax. The interest rate for 2024 will be: .833%.  

A full description of the village’s income tax requirements and tax forms can be found on the village’s website at www.bluffton-ohio.com, under the Income Tax tab. Village of Bluffton income tax return forms and other tax related documents can also be found on the shelf in the Town Hall lobby located at 154 N. Main St., Bluffton, Ohio.

Please direct all tax questions to the Village of Bluffton Income Tax Department by calling (419) 358-2066, ext. 105 or send an email to [email protected].

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