INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Department of Revenue has announced it has begun processing individual income tax returns.

The Department of Revenue and the Internal Revenue Service announced Tuesday that the 2016 individual income tax filing season had begun. Returns should be in the mail by April 18. People get a few extra days this year because Friday, April 15 is Emancipation Day, a public holiday in Washington D.C., followed by the weekend.

The department encourages taxpayers to electronically file their tax returns, saying it leads to faster refunds, increased security and more accurate returns. The IRS reports electronic filing was up 2.4 percent in 2015 from 2014.