Michigan Treasury Reports Progress on 2026 Tax Returns, Launches Upgraded Call Center System

More Than 5.2 Million Returns Processed, $3.59 Billion in Refunds Issued

The Michigan Department of Treasury today provided the latest updates related to the 2026 individual income tax filing season, addressed current processing timelines and outlined steps being taken to improve the taxpayer experience.

Treasury remains focused on processing the remainder of the individual income tax returns. As of July 28, 2026, the department has processed more than 5.20 million individual income tax returns and issued over $3.59 billion in refunds since the filing season opened on January 26.

For those who filed before the April 15 tax deadline, there are currently about 145,000 returns - representing roughly 122,000 taxpayers - that remain in the processing queue. Some will result in tax owed, receive adjustments or be provided refunds.

"We understand taxpayers' frustration with delayed return processing and the impact it has on families. We apologize for the inconvenience and uncertainty these delays have caused," said Deputy State Treasurer Kavita Kale. "The remaining returns, including refunds and balance due filings, require additional review to ensure accuracy, prevent fraud, and verify credit eligibility. Some are completed within days, while others may take several weeks depending on the information needed from the taxpayer or the actions required."

Call center demand has also been high, driven by the complexity of some filings, questions about adjustments, confusion related to amended or multiyear returns, and misinformation circulating online. In response, Treasury has taken significant steps to improve accessibility, transparency and taxpayer communication.

Most notably, on July 22 the Treasury implemented a major upgrade to the Individual Income Tax Contact Center by transitioning to the NiCE CXone phone system. The previous system, built on decades-old technology, could support only about 30 concurrent connections - contributing to long waiting times, dropped calls and instances where taxpayers could not get through to a customer service representative.

Treasury listened closely to taxpayer concerns about these challenges, and CXone is a proven, modern solution already in use across other department divisions and state agencies.

Early results show the improvement has been substantial. Between July 22 and July 28:

• Treasury representatives answered 10,000 income tax calls, with an average answer time of 2 minutes and 35 seconds and an average 6-minute call duration to resolve issues on the first call.
• More than 49,000 taxpayers successfully used self-service options through phone prompts.
• The new callback feature allowed 11,000 taxpayers to receive a return phone call from Treasury without waiting on hold.

In addition to the phone system upgrade, Treasury continues expanding access through Michigan Treasury eServices, available 24/7 at Michigan.gov/MiTreasuryeServices. Taxpayers can view and send correspondence, check refund status, and access personal tax information without needing to call.

Treasury has also improved refund status messaging, published clearer guidance online, and updated notice letters based on feedback from taxpayers and professional partners. Staffing resources have been repositioned internally to increase returns processing capacity.

"We remain committed to making sure every return is processed and every refund is provided," Kale said.

Treasury transitioned from its 40-year-old legacy processing system to the modern GenTax platform. Migrating more than 5 million taxpayer accounts is a complex undertaking, and the department implemented a stability- first approach to ensure long-term accuracy and protection of taxpayer information.

This year's processing pace remains consistent with last year's performance.

For the latest developments about the 2026 individual income tax filing season, go to Michigan.gov/IncomeTax.

Scam Alert: Scammers are contacting taxpayers from out-of-state phone numbers while pretending to be from the Michigan Department of Treasury. They may request payments or attempt to trick you into providing your bank account information. Always verify the source before sharing any personal or financial details.