General Filing Instructions

• 1). Obtain a Michigan 1040 form from the Online Taxes website or the Michigan Treasury Department website. According to the Michigan Department of Treasury, a state tax return is required for those who owe tax, qualify for a refund or have an adjusted gross income exceeding their exemption allowance. Those who file a federal return are also required to file even if they do not owe Michigan tax.
  
  
• 2). Complete a federal return, if required, before filing the Michigan 1040.
  
  
• 3). Follow the guidelines for filling out the Michigan form. The Michigan Treasury Department requires that the forms be written in blue or black ink, all lines printed in capital letters, numbers printed without additional slashes or marks and check boxes are marked with "X" instead of check marks. Be aware that Michigan Treasury also requires that lines and check boxes be left blank if they do not apply or have a value of 0. In addition, all amounts must be written in whole dollars without any additional dashes or symbols, and the information must fit within the space provided.
  
  
• 4). Attach any additional forms that must be filed with the Michigan 1040 with a single staple in the upper left-hand corner. All Michigan forms are labeled with a sequence number in the upper right-hand corner. Attach the forms to the Michigan 1040 according to sequence number.
  
  
• 5). Verify that the return mailing address is correct. Individuals who receive the tax packet by mail will have a label with the address that the Michigan Treasury has on file. If this information is correct, place the label on the front of the packet in the space provided. If the label provided is inaccurate, fill in the proper address on the tax return itself.
  
  
• 6). Mail zero-due returns, refunds, and credits to the proper office:
  
  Michigan Department of Treasury
  Lansing, MI 48956
  
  
• 7). Mail forms that report owed taxes along with the payment to:
  
  Michigan Department of Treasury
  Lansing, MI 48929
  
  
• 8). Postmark the Michigan 1040 form no later than April 15 and include a check for payment of any taxes owed. Make the check payable to "State of Michigan" and include a Social Security number and "20xx tax return" on the front of the check. The "xx" should match the year for which taxes are being filed.