Do i have to include a copy of my federal tax return with my virginia tax return when I'm filing by mail?

[bpimley]

When I print out my Virginia tax return, Turbo Tax also prints out my Federal return. Do I need to submit the Federal return copy with my Virginia State tax return?

[AnnetteB]

According to the instructions for Virginia resident individual tax returns, if you are filing by mail, a copy of the Federal tax return is not listed as one of the documents you are required to send.   

See the picture below for an excerpt from the instruction booklet for how to assemble your return for mailing.  Also, click here to open the full instruction booklet. 

That being said, there should not be an issue if you decide to include it anyway. 

Also, if you are filing a part-year or non-resident return for Virginia, then the Federal return should be included. 

[ruth133]

Beware if you file a joint federal tax return from another state and one person files a Virginia State  return.  I file our Federal return from Florida where I do not need to file a state tax return.  My husband works in Virginia and must file a Virginia tax return.

I followed TurboTax advice and constructed a 'dummy' federal tax return for my husband and then completed his Virginia return.  He printed out his Virginia return from Turbotax.  It included the dummy Federal return, and he sent them together to the Virginia Department of Taxation.  That led to a huge problem and an inquiry opened by the IRS into fraudulent use of my husband's social security number.   Once there is fraudulent use of a social security number, you can never again file electronically.  We were very fortunate to get the right person on the phone at the IRS who recognized what had happened and knew exactly how to get out of the mess.  We had to resubmit our joint Federal return by USPS clearly marked across the front page "no fraud" along with other documentation, and mail it to a specified desk in the Federal IRS.  There was then more correspondence from the IRS to both our Florida address and my husband's Virginia address, before we got an all clear with the warning not to do it again! 

I suggest people do not submit a Federal return with a Virginia State return unless the Virginia State Department of Taxation writes and asks for it!!