Record number of taxpayers chooses electronic options

“Again this year, millions of additional taxpayers gave up paper tax returns to file electronically,” said IRS Acting Commissioner Kevin M. Brown in a news release.

Electronic filings also surged among last-minute filers, a group that traditionally has used paper returns. During the week that included this year’s filing deadline, the number of electronically filed returns received by the IRS jumped 35 percent compared to the same week last year, even though the overall number of returns received during the same week only rose 12 percent.

Records also were set for the number of returns filed electronically by home computer users, the number of balance-due returns filed electronically and the number and amount of direct-deposit refunds.

Findings from this year’s filing season:

• The more than 76.7 million e-filed returns accepted through May 4 topped the more than 73.2 million e-filed returns received for all of 2006. Based on current trends, the agency expects about 58 percent of all returns to be e-filed this year. Taxpayers who filed for extensions can use e-file until Oct. 15.

• A record 22 million taxpayers e-filed from a home computer, up 11 percent compared to the same time last year and eclipsing 2006’s yearlong total of 20.3 million.

• Visits to www.irs.gov increased nearly 10 percent to more than 140 million.

• The average refund this year is $2,255, a 2.5 percent increase compared to last year at this time. More than 59 million refunds – also a record – were deposited directly into savings, checking and brokerage accounts, representing more than 61 percent of all refunds issued. Available year-round, direct deposit eliminates the chance of lost, stolen or undeliverable refunds.

• Nearly $158 billion has been directly deposited so far this year, an 11 percent jump compared to last year at this time. This surpasses the 2006 year-end total of $149.2 billion.

• The number of balance-due returns filed electronically surged 14.2 percent to a record 9.4 million. For all of last year, almost 8.9 million balance-due returns were filed electronically.