Virtus Total Return Fund Declares Distribution

HARTFORD, Conn., March 14, 2017

Distributions may represent earnings from net investment income, excess gains taxable as ordinary income or, if necessary, return of capital. Any portion of the fund's distributions that is a return of capital does not necessarily reflect the fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income." Distributions are subject to re-characterization for tax purposes after the end of the fiscal year. All shareholders with taxable accounts will receive written notification regarding the components and tax treatment for distributions via Form 1099-DIV.

The Virtus Total Return Fund is a non-diversified closed-end fund with an objective of total return, consisting of both capital appreciation and current income. Virtus Investment Advisers, Inc. has been investment adviser to the fund and Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. and Newfleet Asset Management, LLC, have been subadvisers since December 9, 2011. Both the investment adviser and subadvisers are affiliated managers of Virtus Investment Partners.

For more information on the fund, contact shareholder services at (866) 270-7788, by email at closedendfunds@virtus.com, or through the closed end fund section on the web at www.virtus.com.

Fund Risks
An investment in a fund is subject to risk, including the risk of possible loss of principal. A fund's shares may be worth less upon their sale than what an investor paid for them. Shares of closed-end funds may trade at a discount to their net asset value. For more information about each fund's investment objective and risks, please see the fund's annual report. A copy of the fund's most recent annual report may be obtained free of charge by contacting "Shareholder Services" as set forth at the end of this press release.

About Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co.
Duff & Phelps Investment Management is a leader in investing in real estate investment trusts, infrastructure, MLPs, and utility companies and in developing and managing focused investment strategies for specialized clients. For more information about Duff & Phelps, visit www.dpimc.com.

About Newfleet Asset Management
Newfleet Asset Management provides comprehensive fixed income portfolio management in multiple strategies. Newfleet Multi-Sector Strategies, which manages assets in the Virtus Total Return Fund, leverages the knowledge and skill of a team of investment professionals with expertise in every sector of the bond market, including evolving, specialized, and out-of-favor sectors. The team employs active sector rotation and disciplined risk management to portfolio construction, avoiding interest rate bets and remaining duration neutral to each strategy's stated benchmark.