With all the receipts and schedules and stress, tax time can get a little wild. But Schedule 511-H of the state's Income Tax Return allows Oklahomans to put that wild energy to good use when they donate a portion of their refund to the Wildlife Diversity Fund. The Wildlife Department can then turn those donations into field surveys of our state's rare and declining species.
Schedule 511-H provides tax filers with the opportunity to make a financial gift from their refund to up to eight organizations, including the Wildlife Department's Wildlife Diversity Fund. Forms can be found at the Oklahoma Tax Commission's website, oklahoma.gov/tax. Income taxes may also be filed online for free. The deadline for tax year 2021 returns is April 18.
The Wildlife Department does not receive general state tax appropriations. License sales and federal Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program grant revenues are the main funding sources. Every license dollar spent by sportsmen in Oklahoma is used to fund the Wildlife Department's user pay/public benefit conservation efforts.