The Oregon Department of Revenue will start to process 2023 state income tax returns that are electronically filed on Jan. 29.

The date coincides with when the IRS starts to process federal returns. Electronically filed returns are processed in the order they are received. Personal income tax refunds will not be issued until after Feb. 15, the Oregon Department of Revenue said in a press release.

The state’s processing work includes putting a hold on refunds for the department’s tax-fraud prevention efforts and to confirm information on tax returns is accurate.

This year the state is set to pay out a record-breaking $5.6 billion through the “kicker” rebate, which happens when revenues collected exceed official projections. The median Oregon taxpayer will receive about $1,000 back on taxes, and higher income Oregonians who pay more in taxes will receive more back.

The department said taxpayers will get their returns the quickest if they file electronically. Taxpayers who do so and request a refund with a direct deposit will get their refund two weeks sooner on average than people who file with paper returns and ask for a check.

The department reminds taxpayers to take a few easy steps in the next few weeks before filing their returns. Robin Maxey, a spokesperson for the department, said it’s important for people to make sure they have all their necessary documents when they file.

“If you make a mistake, it slows things down, and it may take you even longer to get your refund,” Maxey said.

The department estimates about 2.2 million personal income tax returns will be filed, Maxey said.

Rite Aid Corp. is closing another dozen stores across the country, including its location in Portland’s Pearl District, as part of its restructuring efforts in an ongoing bankruptcy case.

The pharmacy chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October and announced a spate of store closures. The Philadelphia-based company has continued to add more stores to its closure list.

Rite Aid said the stores that were closing are those that underperformed.

In its latest filing submitted to bankruptcy court Tuesday, Rite Aid plans to close its Portland store at 600 N.W. 10th Ave. The store is slated to close on Feb. 1, and prescriptions will be transferred to a CVS Pharmacy less than half a mile away at 105 N.W. 13th Ave.

Rite Aid started its 2023 fiscal year with 2,300 locations in 17 states. Since then, the company has closed hundreds of stores across the U.S., including over a dozen Rite Aid locations in Oregon and southwest Washington. It also plans to close a distribution center in Wilsonville this April.

As of this week, the company operates roughly 1,900 locations in 16 states.