Tax E-file Hits Record 90 Million In US

by Mike Godfrey, for LawAndTax-News.com, Washington

04 May 2009

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that a record 90 million tax returns were filed electronically this year, led by a big increase in people using home computers.

For the first time, more than 30 million individual income tax returns were filed from home computers. By April 24, the IRS had accepted 31.2 million returns filed from home computers, up 19.3% from the same time last year.

The IRS e-file tally broke the 90 million mark this year. By April 24, the IRS had accepted 90.6 million income tax returns through e-file, up almost 6% compared to the same time last year.

“E-file is a great option for taxpayers, and this year’s record is another sign people enjoy the speed and accuracy of e-file,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman, who added:

“We remind taxpayers with extensions who haven’t filed yet that they can still take advantage of e-file.”

A higher percentage of the population is choosing to e-file this year. As of April 24, almost 70% of individuals chose to e-file their tax returns, compared to 61% for the same time last year. The IRS will continue to accept income tax returns through IRS e-file and Free File until October 15.

According to the IRS, e-file is popular because it’s fast, safe and accurate. An electronically prepared and filed return has an error rate of less than 1%, compared to an error rate of about 20% for a paper prepared return.

Further to this, the IRS has explained that people can receive a refund in as little as 10 days if they use electronic filing and direct deposit. Also, people who owe can also pay electronically by debiting their financial account or using a credit card.

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