(a) Time and place — Arkansas Code § 26-51-806(a).

1. (1) Income tax returns must be filed on or before the fifteenth day of May following the close of the calendar year.
2. (2) If the taxpayer files a return on the basis of a fiscal year, the return must be filed with the Secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration on or before the expiration of four and one-half (4 1/2) months from the end of the fiscal year.
3. (3) A corporation going into liquidation during any given tax year may, upon the completion of such liquidation, prepare a return for that year covering its income for the part of the year in which it was engaged in business and may immediately file such return with the secretary.

(b) Time and place — Federal consolidated group — Arkansas Code § 26-51-806(a).

1. (1) In the case of a member of a federal consolidated group that files a separate return in Arkansas and that ceases to be a member of the consolidated group at some point during the tax year, the due date for filing the Arkansas short period return shall be the same date as the due date for the remaining members of the consolidated group.
2. (2) No penalty for late filing will be due for any such return if it is filed on or before the due date (or extended due date) for the other members.
3. (3) However, interest will be charged on any unpaid tax liability beginning on the fifteenth day of the fifth month following the end of the short period.
4. (4) See 26 CAR § 130-113(d)(3) for an explanation of when short tax periods are deemed to have ended. Example 1: D Corporation, a member of DEF group, files a separate Arkansas return and a federal consolidated return on a calendar year basis. D Corporation is sold on April 12, 1993. DEF group has a federal extension to file its 12/93 return on September 15, 1994. The separate Arkansas return of D Corporation for the tax period beginning January 1, 1993, and ending April 12, 1993, will be due September 15, 1994. No penalty for late filing of D Corporation's Arkansas return will be assessed unless it is filed after September 15, 1994. However, interest on any unpaid tax liability will be charged from August 15, 1993, until the return is filed and the tax is paid. Example 2: Same facts as above except no federal extension was made. The Arkansas return of D Corporation for the short tax year ending April 12, 1993, will be due May 15, 1994, for purposes of determining late filing penalty, and any applicable interest will be charged from August 15, 1993.

(c) Forms — Arkansas Code § 26-51-806(b)(1).

1. (1) Corporation income tax booklets, which include forms and instructions, will be mailed to those corporations on record as filing their return during the previous year.
2. (2) Those corporations that used a paid tax preparer will receive a postcard with a label to be given to their tax preparer.
3. (3) However, it is the responsibility of the taxpayer to obtain forms and file income tax returns.

4. (4) Subchapter C corporation income tax forms:

   1. (A) Can be obtained by mail at the following address: Corporation Income Tax Section, Department of Finance and Administration, P.O. Box 919, Little Rock, AR 72203-0919; or
   2. (B) May be obtained at the Corporation Income Tax Section during normal office hours.
5. (5) Most forms may be downloaded from the website found under the Arkansas homepage, https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/.

(d) Substitute forms — Arkansas Code § 26-51-806(b)(1).

1. (1) To ensure accurate, uniform, and efficient processing of tax information, any substitute tax forms must be preapproved in writing, before use, by the manager of the Corporation Income Tax Section.
2. (2) A substitute tax form is any tax return, schedule, statement, or declaration (including any commercially or electronically reproduced versions) for which the Department of Finance and Administration has prescribed a certain format and which is not an exact reproduction or copy of such format.
3. (3) Any substitute tax forms filed with the department, for which prior written approval from the Corporation Income Tax Section was not obtained, may be categorized by the department as an incomplete filing.
4. (4) Approval requests should be submitted to the manager of the Corporation Income Tax Section at the address listed in subsection (c) of this section.
5. (5) Other references: Arkansas Code § 26-18-301(c) and § 26-51-904.