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Income Tax

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1. What is the City of Greenville Income Tax rate and what type of income is taxable?

The income tax rate is 1.5%. Taxable income would include, but is not limited to: qualifying wages, commissions and other compensation (earned or received), payments to a deferred compensation plan, gambling/lottery winnings, self-employment income, house rentals, business profits, farm profits and partnership income. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

2. Who is required to file a Greenville income tax return?

All residents of Greenville who are 18 years old or older are required to file a yearly return. Also, every business located in or performing services within Greenville is required to file. Non-residents are required to file only when they have income earned within Greenville that is not fully withheld upon or have a business or rental property in Greenville. Returns are required with no regard for the amount of income received or losses incurred.

For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

3. I am not a resident of Greenville, but I maintain a Greenville address as my permanent residence; am I required to file?

Yes. If you maintain a Greenville address as your permanent address you are required to file and report your income. Examples would include college students, military personnel and truck drivers. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

4. Are students exempt from the tax?

No, being a student has no effect on city tax liability. All residents of Greenville who are 18 years of age or older are required filing returns and paying any tax due. College students attending school in another city, and maintaining Greenville as their legal place of residence, are required to file a return. They would be taxed on income for the entire year.

For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

5. Are retired persons required to pay the tax?

Retirees are not required to pay tax on social security or on income from a qualified retirement plan. However, retirees are subject to the tax on any other type of earned income that they may have such as wages, rentals, farm income, self employment income, etc. If all of your income is from a non-taxable source (i.e., qualified pension, interest, dividends, etc.) you may contact the income tax department to receive an exemption from filing.

For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

6. Do I need to file a Greenville return if I was only a part year resident?

Yes. If you were a resident of Greenville for any part of the year, you are required to file a tax return. If you worked outside Greenville, you can pro-rate your income and will only be taxed on the amount earned while living in Greenville. However, if you worked for a Greenville employer, 100% of those wages would be taxable because you worked inside the city limits. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

7. I live with and am supported by a family member/friend; do I need to file?

Yes, if you are age 18 or older. The fact that you don’t work or that you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else federal tax return, has no bearing on your obligation to file a Greenville return. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

8. All my income was from wages that were fully withheld upon; do I still have to file a return since I don't think I will owe any money?

Yes, all residents of Greenville who are 18 or over are required to file a return regardless of the amount of tax, if any, that may be due. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

9. I reside in Greenville but I am employed in another city and pay tax there; how does that work?

Effective for the tax year 2005, Greenville is giving credit for taxes paid to another Ohio City or Village up to 1.5%. Your employer will withhold the tax for the city you work in and that tax money will remain with your city of employment. If you work in a city with a tax rate of less than 1.5%, you will be required to pay the difference between the two tax rates, to the City of Greenville. If you work in a city with a tax rate of 1.5% or higher, you will not owe Greenville, but being a resident, you will still be required to file an annual tax return.

For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

10. I just moved to Greenville and already you have sent me a questionnaire to fill out. I don't need to file yet so why do I have to send this form in? And why would you want to know my date of birth?

Greenville has mandatory filing, which was enacted by city council. Everyone ages 18 or older is required to file a return with the City of Greenville and we make every attempt to contact new residents as soon as possible. The information on the questionnaire will be used to open a tax account in your name so that you will be on the mailing list to receive a tax return in January. Your date of birth is requested in order that we do not ask anyone to file who has not yet turned age 18.

For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

11. I made all four quarterly payments on my declaration; is it necessary to file a return?

Yes. The quarterly payments are only an estimate of what you think you will make. Your final tax liability will be determined by the total of all W-2 wages in addition to any other taxable income you may have. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

12. My Greenville tax return has a balance due (line 9) of $10.00, do I need to pay this?

No, we do not collect or refund or credit carry-over any amount that is under $10.01. You still need to file the form, though, even if a payment is not due. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

13. I owe Greenville City taxes but I am unable to pay my full liability at the time my return is due; should I still file my return?

Yes, you should file your return by the due date whether or not you are able to pay the exact amount of tax that you owe. You will receive a bill for the unpaid taxes along with late payment charges that are due. You may then contact the Tax Department to arrange for payment for the charges shown on the bill. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

14. Can I file my Greenville tax return electronically?

No. At the present time, Greenville does not have the capability to accept forms filed electronically. It is up to you to file the paper return that you were given by your tax preparer. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

15. I had a federal extension but got a notice from Greenville that I owed a late filing fee. Why is this?

All extension requests must be received on or before, or postmarked on or before, the due date of the return. Extensions received after that time will be granted the additional time for filing, but you will still be subject to any late charges. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

16. I am a renter and do not own any real estate in Greenville, do I still have to file a Greenville income tax return?

Yes. All Greenville residents age 18 or over are required to file. It is a misconception that only persons who own real estate are required to pay city income tax. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

17. Last year my husband and I filed separate Greenville returns; this year we would like to file jointly. Can this be done?

Yes. A husband and wife may, in any tax year, elect to file separate or joint returns. However, we suggest filing joint, for example if you are late you could be charged late fees for two accounts instead of one. It also gets confusing having more than one account. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

18. What schedules or supporting documents should I attach to my return?

We need documentation to support all income, credits and adjustments shown on your city return. Any federal schedules or forms that contain any information that are included on your city return should be attached. The specific forms needed may vary depending on each taxpayer’s situation. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

19. How do I know that the federal tax information I submit with my return will remain confidential?

Ordinance number 04-129, Section 9, E of the City of Greenville states: A. Any information gained as a result of returns, investigations, hearings, or verifications required or authorized by this Ordinance shall be confidential and no person shall disclose such information except in accordance with a proper judicial order or in connection with the performance of that person’s official duties or the official business of the municipal corporation as authorized by this Ordinance.

For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

20. Is it possible to amend my estimate during the year?

Yes. You may contact the Tax Department to have your estimate amended, or you can change the amount of tax declared on your form GVQ-1 (quarterly tax statement). For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

21. I live in Greenville and have W-2 wages and also some self-employment income, which is a loss; do I need to show the loss on my Greenville return?

Yes, it must be reported even though it is a loss. Please note that business losses cannot be deducted from W-2 wages in order to lower your tax or to obtain a refund. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

22. When can I expect my refund?

The city has 90 days from the later of the date your taxes were due or the date your completed refund request is received to review your request. If your return is complete and approved, a refund check will be mailed to you. A refund request is not considered received unless it is complete and all the required information has been provided. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

23. I'm starting a business, what do I need to do about city taxes?

You will normally have to remit two types of city taxes: the net profits tax and (if you have employees) the employee withholding tax. New businesses should contact the tax office and we will send you a business questionnaire. When completed and returned to the tax office, the questionnaire will assist us in setting up accounts for the forms you will need to file. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

24. I'm self-employed but my business has not shown a profit; am I required to file a return with Greenville?

Yes. All residents or non-residents conducting business within Greenville must file an annual return and report the net profits or net losses of said business. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

25. Do you accept credit cards?

No. The forms of payment we accept are cash, checks and money orders. For more information, please call the Income Tax Department at 937-548-5747.

26. Can someone help me prepare my city tax return?

Yes, we have clerks available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. who will review your records and assist you in preparing your Greenville city tax return. Note that we will prepare only your Greenville City return (not federal, state or school) and we cannot help you with or prepare returns for other cities. Just bring your federal return and all related schedules including all of your W-2 and/or 1099 forms to our office at 100 Public Square.

27. What are the top ten mistakes people make in filing?

The following reasons are mistakes people make when filing their taxes:


1. Failure to sign returns and checks.

2. Failure to include payment for any balance due.

3. Failure to file an estimate and make all quarterly payments.

4. Failure to advise of address changes.

5. Failure to file return for the year taxpayer moves in or out.

6. Failure to allocate taxes paid when allocating income for move-in/move-out year.

7. Failure to claim the correct amount of estimated payments and taking credit for school tax instead of Greenville City tax.

8. Failure to mail return.

9. Failure to attach W-2 forms and any necessary federal schedules.

10. Failure to use the correct Greenville taxable income.